After a mixed start to SEC play, the Lady Bulldogs will look to turn their season around when they host the University of Florida Lady Gators on Sunday at Humphrey Coliseum. Last season Mississippi State defeated Florida with a final score of 79-74 in Gainesville.
Junior guard Sha Brooks will lead Florida. She has never missed a game in her career, starting 60 of 61 games while earning 58 consecutive starts through the end of the 2007 season. She has 45 double-digit scoring games and is ranked fifth all-time at Florida for made 3-pointers.
Brooks made 117 free throws in the 2007 campaign, ranking as the fourth-most in UF’s all-time season chart. She ties the UF record for free throw attempts in a game with 16 against Kentucky as well as steals with nine against Stetson.
Brooks set a UF freshman record with 61 three-pointers and in the process became the first Gator rookie to lead the team in made three-pointers. She also hit at least one 3-pointer in 18 consecutive games that spanned the 2006 and 2007 seasons, the fourth-longest streak in program history. In her sophomore year she was named to the Associated Press’ All-SEC Honorable Mention team.
Brooks was the starting guard in all 31 games of the 2007 season, ending it having started 58 consecutive games. She also led UF in scoring, three-pointers made and free throws made, while ranking second in assists, steals and free throw percentage.
Brooks ranked eighth in the conference for scoring, ninth for free throw percentage, eighth for steals and fifth for minutes played per game in 2007. She scored in every game except for one, playing just 11 minutes due to injury. She is one of four Lady Gators who have played in every game.
At Alabama, Brooks topped the 800-point plateau for her career and scored a career-high 28 points against Arkansas. She also became the seventh Gator to record 100 career three-pointers. She was a preseason Naismith National Player of the Year candidate, one of 50 players selected and lead the team in 24 double-figure scoring games and had seven 20-point scoring games.
The Lady Bulldogs are looking forward to getting back on the court after scoring a win over Alabama last Thursday.
“I am anxious and excited about the game,” Miayorka Johnson said. “When a team comes out you have to be ready to play them, and we are going to try and get a win.”
After a tough loss at Auburn, however, the team is determined to prove they can be competitive in the conference.
“We are going to have to play hard, give it our all, and do our best,” Tysheka Grimes said.
Tip-off for the Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Gators is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.