Wildcats win first contest at Florida since 1980.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (January 29, 1999) — The University of Kentucky women’s basketballteam defeated Florida, 80-70, on Thursday, defeating the Gators for the firsttime since 1995. The win also marked the Cats’ first win in nine years (1990)against UF in Gainesville.
The Wildcats (14-6, 4-4) led by as many as 16 points with 12 minutes lefton the clock before UF (14-9, 3-5) battled back within five points (71-66)with two minutes left in the game. UK’s Laura Meadows hit three of hergame-high four three-pointers in the second half to pull the Cats ahead forgood.
Meadows led all five UK starters in double figures with a season-high 18points. Erica Jackson and Tiffany Wait both added 13 points and LaTonyaMcDole and Shantia Owens followed with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
“Any time you can grab a win on the road in this conference, it’s big,” UKCoach Bernadette Mattox said. “I felt we had a great team effort tonight andI was very pleased with our rebounding and our defense.” UK outreboundedthe Lady Gators 42-37 despite being outrebounded in the first half 26-22.
The Cats led 33-23 at the half, shooting 15 of 35 (42.9 percent) from thefloor. The Lady Gators were without the help of leading scorer TonyaWashington who is out for three weeks with a knee injury. UF shot aseason-low 24.3 percent, hitting only nine field goals. Jackson led all UKscorers at the half with nine points while Owens added six. Florida was led inscoring by Brandi McCain’s 22 points. Also scoring in double figures wasTiffany Travis with 18, Tamara Stocks with 12 and Tombi Bell with 10points.
The Lady Gators defeated Kentucky earlier this season, 77-63, in MemorialColiseum. UF, who dropped its third straight conference game and fourthstraight game at home, leads the series over the Cats 15-13 and 6-5 inFlorida.
Kentucky will meet Arkansas on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 3 p.m. before playinghost to No. 17 Auburn on Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.
