After enjoying a five-game homestand during which the University of Florida women's basketball team extended its win streak to a program-record 13 games, the Gators grab their winter coats and travel approximately 665 miles North of Gainesville to play Ohio University on January 3.

 

Tip-off from the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio, is set for 7 p.m. ET, and will be the second-half of a Bobcat basketball double-header, with Ohio's men's team hosting Bucknell at 2 p.m.

 

Saturday's game, which is Florida's final non-conference contest of the regular season, will be just the third time in program history the Gators have played in the state of Ohio, where Florida holds a 1-1 record. The Gators’ first trip was on March 15, 2000, when UF defeated Dayton, 97-93, in the first round of the postseason WNIT. Florida also made the trek to the nation’s 17th state on Nov. 12, 2006, when the Gators lost at Xavier, 86-70.

 

Florida and Ohio University have met one previous time, with the Gators earning the 85-66 win on Dec. 31, 1991, in Gainesville. Current UF head coach Amanda Butler was a sophomore guard for the Gators that season.

 

Senior Marshae Dotson is a native of Columbus, located approximately 66 miles from Athens, and starred at Mifflin High School. She is the fifth different Ohio-native to suit-up for the Gators. Dotson was selected first-team 2005 Associated Press Division I Girls All-Ohio and averaged 18.9 points per game her senior year, when she also was named the 2005 District 10 Player of the Year for Division I. Dotson directed MHS to a 23-1 record her junior season, averaging 18.3 points and 13.4 rebounds, while shooting 74 percent from the free throw line. The Punchers captured the Division II state title her sophomore year and were runner-up her freshman season.

 

Florida, ranked No. 18 by the Associated Press and No. 20 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll, will be playing away from Gainesville as a nationally-ranked team for the first time since the 2006 SEC Tournament, when the Gators lost to unranked Kentucky, 88-70, in the quarterfinal round. The last time a ranked-Florida squad played on a true away court was Jan. 26, 2006, when unranked Arkansas topped the Gators, 69-63. The Razorbacks’ head coach in that game was current UF assistant coach Susie Gardner. Florida sports a 107-33 record when being ranked in the top-25 and playing an unranked team. That record, however, also includes 19 losses that have occurred on an away court.

 

Florida’s 13-1 record is tied for the best start through 14 games in the 35-year history of the program. The 2005-06 and 2000-01 teams also moved to 13-1, however, both lost its next game. The program record for best-start through 15 games is 13-2, with the 1984-85 team also producing that mark with the two previously mentioned squads.

 

Coming as no surprise to Gator fans, UF seniors Sha Brooks and Dotson have been the team’s offensive leaders this season. The pair are the only two Gators averaging a double-figure scoring effort, leading UF’s potent and very balanced attack.

 

Brooks leads the team in scoring (13.4 ppg), assists (52), free throws made (56) and free throws attempted (67), while ranking second in steals (20).

 

In addition to 11.9 points per game, Dotson leads UF in field goal percentage (61.1%) and offensive rebounds (45), while ranking second in rebounds per game (6.9 pg).

 

Junior Sharielle Smith quietly has overtaken Dotson for the rebounding lead, collecting two more for a 7.0 per-game average, while adding 9.1 points per game and hitting 91.7 percent from the free throw line (33-36).

 

Dotson was named the MVP of UF’s annual home tournament - State Farm Classic - for the second consecutive year, becoming only the third two-time winner of the event’s top individual honor. Dotson joined UF All-Americans Merlakia Jones (1993 & 1994) and DeLisha Milton (1995 & 1996) as the only other repeat winners. Dotson guided the Gators to this year’s title after averaging a team-high 16.0 points along with 8.5 rebounds, while shooting 73.7 percent (14-19) from the floor.

 

In addition to Dotson’s MVP performance at the State Farm Classic, Dec. 29 & 30, several others returned from the winter holiday break ready to play. Brooks, Steffi Sorensen and Jennifer Mossor averaged a double-figure scoring effort during those two games (15.5 ppg, 11.5 ppg, 10.0 ppg, respectively), while Smith collected 10.5 rebounds with 7.5 points over that span.

 

Senior guard Lauren Hmiel leads three Bobcats in double-figure scoring, netting 13.6 points per game. Junior guard Jenny Poff adds 11.2 points with 3.6 assists per game, while Jennifer Bushby tallies 10.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game for Ohio, which is playing at home for just the second time this year.

 

Game Day Information

What: Florida (13-1) at Ohio University (4-7)

When: Saturday, January 3, 2009 * 7 p.m.

Where: Athens, Ohio * Convocation Center (13,168)

Radio: LIVE on WRUF AM850 in Gainesville - audio simulcast on Cox Channel 96 with Steve Babik & Steve Russell

Internet Audio: LIVE thru GatorZone.com (FREE of charge)

GatorVision Online: none

Television: none

Post-Game Satellite Feed: none

 

-UF-