Florida leading scorer Eleanna Christinaki quits, didn’t like punishment for violating team rules
Florida sophomore guard Eleanna Christinaki quit the team this weekend after disagreeing with her punishment for violating team rules. The native of Athens, Greece was the team’s leading scorer at 17.6 points per game in addition to 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest.
The school issued this statement on why she is absent from the roster before the game:
“It’s a violation of team culture. She did not like the “punishment” (sitting out the first half of today’s game) and quit.”
In addition, starting guard Delicia Washington will not play in the first half of today’s game due to a “violation of team culture.”
The Gators face North Carolina A&T at Billy Harrison Field House on the campus of Gulf Coast State College. Florida goes into the contest with a 6-3 record and is ranked No. 22 on the Hoopfeed poll and No. 23 on the Associated Press poll.
Due to construction to the team’s home court, the Gators have played on the road to start the season. Florida’s first home game of 2016-17 will be on Dec. 28 against Southeastern Louisiana.
Postgame Update
https://youtu.be/6gBgx88hFmk
After Florida defeated NC A&T 67-39, Butler addressed Christinaki’s departure and the team response.
“Eleanna Christinaki has quit on her team. Our team handled that just with I thought a great deal of pride, a great deal of grace, a great deal of effort and energy.”
“I loved the response. I loved the energy. I loved the way they came out and played for each other.”
The punishments for Christinaki and Washington came after what Butler described as “behavior that is not becoming of a Gator and not part of our culture.”
Washington played in the second half scoring 10 points and grabbing four rebounds.
Butler said Washington reacted to the discipline “very maturely, very much like a women.”
