College basketball

Vols come to town hot but weakened

By ANTONYA ENGLISH
Published February 3, 2005

GAINESVILLE - In many ways, they are teams going in opposite directions.

The Florida women's basketball team is on a three-game losing streak, struggling to put together 40 minutes of the kind of play coach Carolyn Peck has seen glimpses of throughout the season.

The Tennessee women are ranked No. 5, riding an eight-game winning streak and coming off an emotional win over Georgia on Monday night.

Florida (12-8, 3-4 SEC) hosts the Vols (16-3, 6-0) at 7 tonight, hoping to end not just its current streak but years of futility. Tennessee has dominated the series 33-1, including 11 consecutive wins.

If ever there was an opportunity to turn the tide, this could be it.

Tennessee is ailing. Junior center Tye'sha Fluker will miss the game after traveling home to Pasadena, Calif., to be with an ill relative. Senior guard Loree Moore broke her nose Monday night and had surgery Wednesday morning. She has been cleared to play, but her status is up in the air. Guard Shanna Zolman injured her knee against Georgia, but her MRI exam was negative and she's expected to play. Coach Pat Summitt will be forced to shuffle her lineup on short notice in a week in which the Vols play three games in six days.

"Florida is going to be a challenge for us without Tye'sha Fluker," Summitt said. "Hopefully Loree will be able to play. Jenny Moshak (team athletic trainer) is optimistic, but that injury may not give us the best or the healthiest Loree Moore. The good news is that Zolman came through with a good report and the rest of the team is healthy. Florida will be a big challenge for our front line."

The Gators are winless against four ranked opponents with four remaining, starting tonight. But approaching midseason and needing conference wins in a big way, Florida's focus is on doing what it takes to pull out of its slump, not on the Tennessee prestige.

"I definitely think the most important thing is just focusing on getting a victory," junior guard Sarah Lowe said. "We can't really worry about the fact that it's Tennessee or, really, who it is. It's just our next opponent, and we are on a three-game losing streak, so whoever that may be, that's our focus. It doesn't matter if it's the fifth-ranked team in the country or not."

Peck said Florida's biggest problem is its inability to "finish" games, including holding onto leads. Against the Vols, Peck said, the Gators must rebound well and play strong inside.

"The key tonight is we can't allow them to get second-chance opportunities," Peck said. "They are very strong, they outrebound their opponents by 13 in the SEC and I think that's played a big part ... They are getting themselves to the glass and taking advantage of second-chance opportunities."

[Last modified February 3, 2005, 01:08:13]