Ronni Williams led Florida to a big win on Thursday and her effort was recognized as she was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced today.
Williams, a 6-foot junior forward from Daytona Beach, led Florida to an 83-81 upset victory over No. 12/11 Texas A&M in the Gators only game of the week.
That victory improved UF’s records to 19-4 overall and 7-3 in SEC action, as the Gators sit one half-game back of Mississippi State for second place in the league standings.
This is the first time in her career Williams has been honored with the SEC’s weekly award. She did earn the Freshman of the Week notice twice during the 2013-14 season.
Williams’ performance against the Aggies drew praise from Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair, who commented about her following the game, “Williams is one of the top-10 players in our league. She could do that every night. If she can stay out of foul trouble, just think what she could do with 40 minutes.”
UF Head Coach Amanda Butler on Williams’ performance against Texas A&M:
“That could have been the most complete game of her career … 20 points and 15 rebounds against that level of competition. If you watched the game and really understanding just what those matchups looked like, that was not an easy team to score or rebound against. It speaks complete to her development, the way that she’s leading this year, the level of accountability in her taking ownership of how good she is and the impact she is supposed to make – not just game in and game out, but day in and day out on the practice court. We’ve seen a tremendous amount of growth in her and the thing that’s exciting is that there is still room to grow and the way that she’s pursuing that growth.â€
Ronni Williams’ Week at a Glance:
- Scored 20 points with 15 rebounds, hitting 7-of-13 percent of her shots from the floor
- Became the first Gator since Marshae Dotson (Nov. 23, 2007 vs. Florida State) to finish a game with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds.
- During a game-changing stretch when the Gators outscored the Aggies 24-11 in the fourth quarter, Williams scored five points and helped Florida take a 57-56 lead with 90 seconds remaining in the quarter.
- Collected 500th career rebound in win vs. Texas A&M (Feb. 4)
- 7 double-doubles this year – most recent 20 points, 15 rebounds (season-high) vs. Texas A&M
- Williams leads the 2015-16 Gators, who join the 1996-97 and 2000-01 teams as the only clubs in program history to defeat four top-15 opponents in a season.
What’s next for the Gators:
- Florida will play four of its next five games on the road, beginning Thursday when the Gators play No. 2 South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena.
- Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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