Although the Georgia women’s basketball team led for over 25 minutes of Sunday’s game, Florida was able to score down the stretch, and the Gators took the win, 65-58.
 
 
Ronni Williams was the star for Florida, finishing with a game-high 31 points, including 19 in the second half. Pachis Roberts recorded her 23rd game in double figures with 18 points, while Mackenzie Engram finished with 13.
 
 
“Credit Florida for a great game today,” head coach Joni Taylor said. “For us, we are obviously disappointed but one game does not define your season. We have to bounce back and get ready to go this week at the SEC Tournament.”
 
 
MacKenzie Engram scored Georgia’s first five points as the Lady Bulldogs jumped ahead of the Gators in the early going. Georgia shot 50 percent from the floor in the first quarter and never relinquished the lead, building a 15-12 advantage at the end of the opening period.
 
 
Florida grabbed its first lead of the game at the eight-minute mark of the second frame off a Williams’ layup. Stephanie Paul had the quick answer with a 3-point basket to tie the game at 18-18. Williams finished with 10 points in the second quarter alone for the Gators, but it was Roberts who heated up for the Lady Bulldogs. She scored six-straight points to end the half and gave her team the 30-26 lead going into the locker room.
 
 
Back-to-back baskets to begin the second half — one from Haley Clark and the other from Engram — extended Georgia’s run to 10-straight points and gave the Lady Bulldogs the early momentum in the third quarter. The Gators fought back to tie the game at 43-43 with under two seconds remaining before Tyshara Fleming was called for a flagrant foul, sending Halle Washington to the free-throw line, where she knocked them both in.
 
 
Florida then exploded in the fourth quarter and built as much as a six-point advantage, 58-52, with just over two minutes to go. That lead ballooned out to nine as the Lady Bulldogs found themselves in foul trouble and Williams continued to score for the Gators en route to her team’s 65-58 win.
 
 
CLICK HERE for the final stats from the Georgia versus Florida women’s college basketball game.
 
 
Sunday’s road game versus Florida was the Lady Bulldogs final regular season game, and with the loss, Georgia finishes the regular season with a 15-14 record and 7-9 mark in the SEC. Georgia will play Thursday at the SEC Tournament in Greenville, SC at 12 noon as the number 8 seed versus Auburn, the number 9 seed.