FINAL STATS

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Senior Tanika Jackson led Alabama State with 12points and 13 rebounds, falling against Florida 95-38 in the first round of the Gator Holiday Tournament Monday night at the Stephen O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.

“We played a very good team tonight, “Alabama State Head Coach Freda Freeman-Jackson said.  “It was a tough game for us. Florida was pretty athletic and for them being so long and lanky, it was very hard for our players to get anything done offensively or defensively because they were able to get to the basket.  We tried multiple defenses and couldn't get anything done. I thought Florida did an excellent job as far as second-chance points. Against a SEC school, you almost have to play a perfect game in order to be victorious. We did not do that, so that's why we ended up with several big deficits. I thought Florida played extremely well - they shot the ball really well and they just played good ball.

Florida scored first and led the entire game off of missed shots and turnovers, which plagued ASU giving the Gators a 9-0 run in the first four-in-half minutes of the first half.  ASU's Tamara Waldington hit a jumper putting the Lady Hornets on the board.  The score was 53-21 at the break, only being outrebounded 23-21.

After falling behind by 32 points in the opening minutes of the second half the Gators pulled away for good and led the remaining half of the game.   ASU never rebounded back from the deficit scoring only 16 more points falling 95-38 to the Gator's.

The Lady Hornets will play Texas A&M Corpus Christi for the second round of the tournament Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m.  Texas A&M fell against Robert Morris 83-47 earlier in the evening.