Late scuffle mars loss in SEC tourney
Florida’s season in women’s basketball ended with a 15-point defeat and loss of composure by the Gators against Kentucky in the SEC Tournament.
A scuffle between the teams led to eight ejections and an apology from coach Kelly Rae Finley after sophomore forward Tatyana Wyche threw a basketball in anger following a basket by the Wildcats during their 72-57 win.
“That’s not how we want to represent ourselves as Florida women’s basketball and in the competitive spirit,” Finley said of the incident that took place with 5:26 left in the second quarter. “So first and foremost I apologize for that, because that is not representative of the SEC, University of Florida, or how we compete.”
Wyche reacted after Kentucky forward Ajae Petty grabbed the basketball after a layup by Wildcats guard Jada Walker and pushed it into the left jaw of Wyche. The 6-foot-2 sophomore from Fort Lauderdale threw the ball toward the 6-foot-3 Petty but missed the mark as she jogged to mid-court and slapped five with a teammate.
Wyche then ran toward Petty but was impeded and corralled by two Wildcats players and soon an official. While players scuffled, Kentucky guard Robyn Benton shoved Wyche toward the Kentucky bench and into coach Kyra Elzy.
Wyche’s twin sister, Taliyah, was among the players who left the bench to attempt to restore order. No punches were throw but emotions were high.
Wyche received a technical foul and was ejected along with seven other players, including her sister, Petty and Benton. Officials also ejected Gators post player Faith Dut, who subbing into the game. UF players ejected for leaving the bench were 6-foot-6 center Ra Shaya Kyle and injured guard Zippy Broughton, who missed the season after shoulder surgery but traveled with the team to Greenville, S.C.
Petty received a technical foul and Benton an intentional foul. Cassidy Rowe received a player substitute technical foul.
Finley received an indirect technical foul.
The Gators trailed 22-14 at the time of the incident and did not recover against the Wildcats (11-18, 2-14 SEC). Florida (16-14, 5-11) lost six of its final eight games.
“Our season was up and down,” leading scorer KK Deans said. “We had highs. We had lows. My teammates did a good job coming together in hard moments to finish and fight through.
“There was a lot of times we could have quit and it could have went worse. But we stuck together.”
Finley is in her first year as head coach after serving on an interim basis in 202122. Cam Newbauer resigned during the summer of 2021 after allegation of mental and verbal abuse.
The Gators last year under Finley earned their first Top 25 ranking since 2016, had a 20-win regular season and reached the NCAA tournament, losing to UCF during the opening round. UF athletic director Scott Stricklin rewarded Finley with a 5-year, $3.7 million deal.
Finley aimed to build on last season, but the Gators instead struggled during SEC play. Unless the Gators land a WNIT bid, the program will enter the offseason following a first-round exit from the conference tournament and in-game melee.
“I was very, very proud of our student-athletes for how they finished the game,” Finley said. “We talk a lot in our program about we can do hard things, and when adversity hits, how you respond says a lot about your character.”