Special to The Sun
Freshman Rennia Davis returned to her home state and notched her seventh career double-double leading a balanced attack as No. 15 Tennessee defeated Florida 70-42 on Thursday night.
Evina Westbrook and Jaime Nared had 13 points apiece for the Vols (22-6, 10-5 Southeastern Conference), who gave coach Holly Warlick her 150th career win against 52 losses. Davis and Meme Jackson had 11 points apiece, with Davis grabbing 10 rebounds.
Tennessee scored the last two baskets to take a 32-28 lead at the half and then scored the first 14 of the third quarter for its longest run of the season. After a Florida basket, ending a string of 12 straight misses, the Lady Vols scored the last 10 to go up 55-30.
Four players had three steals as Tennessee had 17, the most in 10 seasons.
Paulina Hersler had 12 points for the Gators (11-17, 3-12).
Baseball: The top-ranked Gators will meet up with a former teammate when they visit Miami for a three-game set in Coral Gables starting at 7 tonight.
Danny Reyes, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior who played his freshman year at Florida before transferring to Broward College last season, was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Player of the Week on Monday after totaling a team-best eight hits, four RBIs, four doubles and a two-run home run in the opening series last weekend against Rutgers.
“Obviously we’re familiar with a lot of their pitchers,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said Wednesday after his team improved to 5-0 following a win over Bethune-Cookman. “Danny Reyes seems like he’s off to a great start offensively, so it’ll be a good challenge for us.
“Going on the road for the first time, it’ll be a lot of firsts for a lot of guys being on the road in a different environment playing against a very good team.”
Softball: Florida continues action at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium this weekend with the Aquafina Invitational. Starting this morning, 13 games will be played through to the following Sunday.
The Florida offense has been hot to start the season, as the team has scored 83 runs. So this weekend, with every run that the Gators score, Pepsi will plant one tree in the Gainesville community.
The Gators’ first action of the invitational is set for 4:30 p.m. today against Maryland. Florida will follow up with a nightcap against Illinois State at 7 p.m. UF-Maryland play again at 2 p.m. Saturday. UF then plays Iowa State at 4:30 p.m. that day. UF plays Iowa State again Sunday at 11 a.m. and then closes things with a 1:30 p.m. game vs. Georgia Southern
