Dec. 14, 2003
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Behind a dominating 31-point, 17-rebound, seven-block performance from senior All-American center Vanessa Hayden, the Florida women's basketball team upset 15th-ranked UC Santa Barbara 75-49 on Sunday in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Playing their 2003-04 home opener, the Gators dominated the boards - out-rebounding UCSB 52-27 - while improving to 6-2 on the young season. Meanwhile the Gauchos fell to 4-2, with both losses coming on the road by an average of 26.5 points per game.
Both teams came out of the gates slowly, with Santa Barbara taking a 6-5 lead at the 14:13 mark of the first half following a nice turn-around jumper by freshman center Jenna Green. UF responded with a basket on its next possession, but led just 18-16 with 7:33 before halftime when Gaucho senior point guard April McDivitt buried her second straight three-pointer. However at that point the home team reeled off nine unanswered points, a run that included a Tashia Morehead "trey." UCSB could not pull closer than eight the rest of the half, and the Gators took a 33-23 lead into the locker rooms after Hayden banked-in an 18-footer just prior to the buzzer.
The Santa Barbara offense continued to sputter following the intermission, going scoreless over the first three minutes of the second half. Florida maintained its double-digit cushion until a 5-0 spurt capped by a pair of McDivitt free-throws with 7:29 to play gave the visitors reason for optimism at 55-46. UCSB then stopped the Gators on their next possession, but could not convert again for nearly three minutes as UF squashed any rally hopes. The home team ended this non-conference contest on a 12-0 run over the final 4:07, during which UF also held a 9-1 rebounding edge.
Morehead was the other Gator in double-figures with 14, while Bernice Mosby hauled down 10 rebounds. Florida's 46.0% field goal mark was the best by a Gaucho opponent this season.
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With 15 points on six-of-10 shooting, Mann paced the Gaucho offense. McDivitt added 10 points, and dished off two of UCSB's three total assists. The visitors hindered their effort by committing 16 turnovers.
The Gauchos look to regroup as they continue their three-game, three-state road trip on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at Cincinnati. Tip-off is slated for 4:00 p.m. PST/7:00 EST.
