Colleges

Gator basketball teams need wins, luck to get off the bubble

By ANTONYA ENGLISH
Published February 26, 2008

GAINESVILLE - Amanda Butler and Billy Donovan don't necessarily have the same philosophy heading into this week, and their body language couldn't have been more opposite Monday morning. Butler's women's basketball team is coming off a four-point home loss to South Carolina on Sunday, and the disappointment was evident in her voice. The men's team is preparing for Georgia after having a week off following a win over South Carolina, so Donovan was upbeat.

Yet the reality is that the coaches have teams in similar situations. Both are sitting on the proverbial NCAA Tournament bubble as they begin preparations for their final four and two regular-season games, respectively.

"We're day by day, practice by practice," Butler said. "We definitely aren't going more than one at a time; we can't afford to do that. With our SEC standings so close together with so many teams, one game means the difference between sixth place and ninth place. So it doesn't make any sense to look at the bigger picture."

Entering the final regular-season week, only one of the 12 seeds for the women's SEC tournament has been solidified.

Coincidentally, the Florida men 20-7, 7-5 and women (16-11, 5-7) have among the nation's best teams still remaining on the schedule: the Tennessee Volunteers. Butler's team travels to Knoxville to play No.3 Tennessee on Thursday night. The Gator men host No.1 Tennessee next week.

In 37 meetings, the Tennessee women have defeated Florida 35 times, including 13 of the past 14. To make the NCAA field, the Gators need to win Sunday's game at Ole Miss, then make a nice showing in next week's conference tournament. And hope some other teams falter.

The men need to win at struggling Georgia (12-13) on Wednesday night and go at least 2-1 against SEC West-leading Mississippi State, SEC East-leading Tennessee and at Rupp Arena against Kentucky. Georgia has lost just three games at home, to Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Tennessee.

"We feel like we're in a must-win situation," freshman forward Alex Tyus said. "This is a game (Georgia) we definitely need to win."

Same can be said for the women - after they leave Tennessee.

"It's that time of year where you have all these great things in your grasp, you've got to suck it up and give your best because right now is a moment you have to seize," Butler said.

Now or not at all. At least not this year.

AREA STANDOUTS: Several area players had stellar performances in the Gators' baseball season-opening weekend sweep of Siena.

Pitcher Billy Bullock of Riverview High went six innings, giving up three hits and one run and getting six strikeouts in a 10-7 victory Friday night. On Sunday, pitcher Tommy Toledo of Alonso High pitched five innings, giving up five hits and two runs and getting five strikeouts in a 13-6 victory. And for the weekend, senior Brandon McArthur of Armwood High started all three games at first base, hitting .455 with five hits and six RBIs, including a two-run triple to snap a tie at 6.

TESTING THE WATERS: The No.7 softball team (19-0) will test itself with a West Coast trip that gives the Gators six games in five days and include No.23 Cal-State Fullerton and No.12 Stanford.

This will be a homecoming for eight Gator players from California, including junior pitcher Stacey Nelson, who on Monday was named the SEC pitcher of the week for the second straight week. Nelson was 5-0 last week and extended her school-record shutout streak to 462/3 innings. She eventually gave up a run to Notre Dame on Saturday but rebounded by striking out a career-high 13 on Sunday.

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

[Last modified February 26, 2008, 01:00:19]