Mississippi State
17-13
Florida
9-21
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UF | 29 | 40 | 69 |
| MS | 30 | 33 | 63 |
Florida Upsets Lady Bulldogs In SEC Tourney, 69-63
March 01, 2007 | Women's Basketball
* Official Statistics (PDF)
DULUTH, Ga. - Free throws down the stretch by 11th-seeded Florida (9-21) led to an upset of sixth-seeded Mississippi State (17-13) Thursday night at the SEC Women's Basketball tournament.
The first 20 minutes of action saw a back-and-forth affair. The Lady Bulldogs opened up the game on a 7-2 run with junior forward Imesia Jackson scoring four of those seven points. UF went on a 10-3 run of their own to tie the game at 10-10, but MSU sophomore forward Lauren Roberts would answer with a layup at the 12:27 mark to tie the game once more.
Roberts would connect again, this time with a three-pointer, to give MSU a short-lived, 17-14 advantage. The first half featured seven lead changes and four ties and would end with the Lady Bulldogs taking a slim 30-29 lead into the intermission.
In the second period, MSU came out of the locker room and went on a 9-2 run to extend their lead to 39-31. After opening up the run, the Gators put together an 11-4 run to tie the game at 43-43 with 8:21 left in the game. Continuing the back and forth pace of the first stanza, both teams traded baskets until the Gators hit seven consecutive free throws to take a 58-49 lead.
Down the stretch, Marneshia Richard tried to help extend the Lady Bulldogs' tournament stay, scoring 14 points alone in the last minute-and-a-half of the contest. But Florida would drain six more free throws in that time span to put the game away.
I felt like, in the second half, we ended up getting a lead and got ourselves in a position to win a ballgame, said MSU head coach Sharon Fanning. I think you have to give credit to Florida because they kept taking it at us.
Mississippi State was led by Richard's 18 points, including 3-for-5 from behind the arc, and eight assists. Jackson added 12 points and six rebounds while Tysheka Grimes rounded out the Lady Bulldog scoring with 11.
UF was paced by Marshae Dotson with a game-high 25 points. Lady Gator Sha Brooks followed with 16.
The Lady Bulldogs now await their postseason fate when NCAA selections are announced on Monday, March 12.
