College basketball

Women: Senior guard's run carries Gators to OT shocker

By wire services
Published February 17, 2006

GAINESVILLE - Florida's Sarah Lowe stepped to the line with 3.2 seconds left in overtime and the Gators trailing No. 2 LSU by a point.

Nervous? Not a chance.

The senior guard made two free throws and Florida stunned LSU 79-78 on Thursday night, ending the Tigers' 24-game regular-season Southeastern Conference winning streak and giving the Gators their first win over a top-five team.

"When I stepped up there I just told myself I had to relax and not worry about anything and just go up there and shoot them like I had been," Lowe said. "There wasn't a doubt in my mind I was going to make it. I walked up there like it was just shooting a free throw at practice."

The Gators trailed 65-56 with five minutes left but held the Tigers (22-2, 10-1) scoreless the rest of the way. Lowe then scored Florida's last six in overtime. Her driving layup with 12.4 seconds left cut the deficit to 78-77, and after LSU's RaShonta LeBlanc missed two free throws, Lowe was fouled while attempting a pullup shot over Seimone Augustus.

"I don't really know if I'll be able to sleep tonight," Lowe said. "This is awesome for the program and awesome for the senior class. We beat a top-five team."

Lowe sank the tying basket in regulation with 52.9 seconds left.

STETSON 67, GARDNER-WEBB 59: Nefertiti Walker had 26 points, and the host Hatters (6-16, 4-11 Atlantic Sun) used an early 23-4 run to cruise.

NO. 4 MARYLAND 86, NO. 18 BC 59: Shay Doron scored 22 as the host Terrapins (23-3, 10-2 ACC) snapped the Eagles' seven-game winning streak. Boston College (19-7, 6-5) allowed its most points this season.

NO. 5 TENNESSEE 58, NO. 13 UGA 55: Candace Parker sank the go-ahead basket with 17 seconds left, and the visiting Volunteers (23-3, 9-2 SEC) rallied from a 14-point deficit in their first game since losing point guard Alexis Hornbuckle for the season.

NO. 6 OHIO ST. 76, NO. 17 MINNESOTA 55: Marscilla Packer scored a career-high 32 and made 8 of 10 3-pointers for the visiting Buckeyes (22-2, 12-1 Big Ten). Packer tied the single-game school record for 3-pointers made.

NO. 10 PURDUE 75, MICHIGAN 50: Katie Gearlds scored 19 for the host Boilermakers (21-3, 12-1 Big Ten), who opened the second half with a 15-4 run to hand the Wolverines their 12th straight loss.

NO. 15 ARIZ. ST. 62, NO. 11 STANFORD 59: Briann January made four free throws in the final 32 seconds as the Sun Devils (21-5, 12-4 Pac-10) won their seventh straight and 20th in a row at home.

NO. 14 MICH. ST. 73, IOWA 71: Lindsay Bowen scored the go-ahead basket and became the school's career scoring leader with 1,670 in her final home game as the Spartans (20-7, 10-4 Big Ten) won their sixth straight.

NO. 24 LA. TECH 78, SAN JOSE ST. 48: Aarica Ray-Boyd scored a career-high 31 and the visiting Techsters (19-5, 11-1 West Coast) won for the 14th time in 15 games.

[Last modified February 17, 2006, 02:15:35]