Gillespie’s 17 & 18 lead No. 12 FSU women past Gators 66-55
GAINSVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Kiah Gillespie scored 17 points and matched her career high with 18 rebounds and No. 12 Florida State turned back rival Florida 66-55 on Tuesday night.
Nicki Ekhomu added 15 points and Valencia Myers 10 for the Seminoles, who secured the game with a late 8-0 run. Gillespie has 16 double-doubles in her two years with FSU, three this season.
Leading 58-52 with less than three minutes to play, Gillespie hit a jumper. Ekhomu followed with two baskets before Nausia Woolfolk’s layup with 25 seconds to play put the Seminoles on top 66-52. The Gators missed six straight shots and had a turnover before a late 3-pointer closed it out.
Ekhomu and Woolfolk are the first seniors to go undefeated in the rivalry. The Seminoles (6-0) have won 7 of the last eight. Coach Sue Semrau, after losing her first eight in the series, now has a 13-12 record against the Gators.
Florida (4-2) never led and trailed by as many as 11 in the first half but entered the fourth quarter only down two, 46-44. Gillespie hit a 3-pointer and a jumper to open the fourth quarter and the Gators never recovered.
Kiara Smith scored 15 points for Florida and Zada Williams and Ariel Johnson had 12 each with Williams grabbing 11 rebounds.
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