Florida returns to the O'Connell Center for the first time since Jan. 3. The Gators begin a three-game SEC homestand and host to SEC-rival Georgia on Thursday. Tip-off from Stephen C. O'Connell Center is set for 7 p.m. ET.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida returns to the O'Connell Center for the first time since Jan. 3, when the Gators begin a three-game SEC homestand and host to SEC-rival Georgia on Thursday.
Tip-off from Stephen C. O'Connell Center is set for 7 p.m. ET.
While there will not be television coverage of the game, live streaming video will be provided by SEC Network +, with Adam Schick and Brittany Davis calling the action.
Twice the Fun- Thursday's game is the first the two annual meetings between Florida and Georgia on the hardwood.
- The teams will meet again in Athens on Sun., February 21.
- In this year's 16-game SEC schedule, the Gators also will play Auburn and LSU twice.
Preseason Picks- Florida was voted by the league's coaches and media to finish 12th in the 14-team league.
- Georgia was selected ninth by the coaches and tied for ninth by the media.
The Series vs. Georgia- 66-Game Series: UF trails 15-51
- UF Home: 10-22; Away: 5-27; Neutral: 0-2
- The 66-game series is the second-longest to any opponent for the Gators, trailing only the 72 games played against instate rival Florida State.
- 12 of the last 13 games have been decided by 9 points or less.
- Georgia has won five of the last six games in the series, including the most recent contest - a 52-45 decision in Gainesville on March 1, 2015.
- Florida's last win vs. Georgia in Gainesville was Feb. 19, 2012 (61-57)
Good to Be Back!- Florida is ranked No. 20 in the January 11, 2016 Associated Press national poll.
- This is the team's first top-25 ranking since being No. 22 in the final AP poll of the 2008-09 season.
- Florida is ranked No. 21 in the January 12, 2016 USA Today/Coaches national poll.
- This is the team's first top-25 coaches ranking since being No. 23 in the final poll of the 2008-09 season.
Gators as a Ranked Team- UF is 151-77 all-time playing as a ranked team, including an 80-19 record when playing at home.
- The last game UF played as a ranked team: March 24, 2009 at No. 1 Connecticut (L, 87-59) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
- The last time UF played a HOME game as a ranked team: Feb. 22, 2009 - No. 15 Gators vs. South Carolina (W, 82-66)
A Gator Win on Thursday would ...- Tie for the best 17-game start in program history, equaling the 15-2 record of the 2008-09 and the 2000-01 clubs.
- Be UF's first win playing as a ranked team since March 22, 2009, when the then-No. 22 Gators defeated Temple, 70-57, in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament held in Storrs, Conn.
- Be the Gator's first HOME win of the 2016 calendar year, as well as the team's first SEC victory at home this season.
- Improve UF's overall home record to 8-1 this season.
Top-TWO: Match-Ups to Watch- The top two rebounders in SEC games go head-to-head, as UG senior Shacobia Barbee (11.7 rpg) and UF junior Ronni Williams (11.3 rpg) square off in the paint.
- The top two active career three-point field goals made leaders in the SEC will be on the same court Thursday, with UF's Carlie Needles (186 career three-pointers) and UG's Tiaria Griffin (183) taking aim from long range.
- The top two leaders in assist/turnover ratio in SEC games will be in the O'Dome, with UF freshman Eleanna Christinaki (20 assists/9 turnovers, 2.2 ratio) and UG senior Shacobia Barbee (13/6, 2.2) handling the rock.
Well Deserved Honors- When the SEC's weekly awards were announced on January 12, Florida's Carlie Needles and Eleanna Christinaki were honored as the SEC Player and Freshman of the Week, respectively.
- It marked the first time that one school swept both awards since December 3, 2013.
- The individual honor is the first for Needles.
- This was the second time this year Christinaki has been recognized as the league's rookie of the week.
Looking Back: Florida def. Ole Miss, 85-65 (Sunday, January 10)- Florida used a devastating 27-4 run in the first quarter after Ole Miss opened with an 8-1 lead and the Gators were never threatened again as they defeated the Rebels, 85-65, at The Pavilion at Ole Miss
- Six different Gators recorded a double-digit statistic as Florida showed that last Thursday's win at Tennessee was no fluke, as the Gators earned their second consecutive road win in the Southeastern Conference.
- Stat of the Game: Florida turned 21 Ole Miss turnovers into 26 points.
Gator Watch- Ronni Williams, a preseason Second Team All-SEC performer, is UF's leading rebounder (7.5 pg) and is tied with Cassie Peoples for top scoring honors, 10.4 ppg.
- In SEC games, Williams is averaging 11.3 rebounds per game, the second-most in league games!
- She has recorded six double-doubles this season (11 in career), including three straight during early November
- She became the first Gator to record three consecutive double-doubles since Jennifer George posted four in a row from Dec. 4-20, 2012.
Threading the Needles- Through three SEC games, senior Carlie Needles is UF's leading scorer in league contests at 14.3 points per game
- In SEC games:
- >> 9-of-21 three-pointers (42.9%)
- >> 50% FG (15-30)
- >> 4-4 free throws
- >> 7 assists and 5 steals
Go for '4'- Redshirt senior Carlie Needles has scored in doubles-figures in three consecutive games: No. 8 Mississippi State (17 points), No. 12/11 Tennessee (15 points) and at Ole Miss (11 pts).
- This is the second three-game double-figure scoring game of her career.
- The other run came during her sophomore year (2013-14) against Troy (11 pts), Saint Francis (12) and Tennessee State (10 pts).
Rookie Review- Eleanna Christinaki is the only true freshman on the Gator squad and has made quite an impact!
- She has been in the starting lineup since the third game of the season.
- Has scored in double-figures in six of the last nine games (entering Georgia)
- Has 8 double-figure scoring games - tied for the most on the team
- Is UF's assists leader
- Has been UF's leading game scorer four times
- Has been UF's leading rebounder twice
- Has been UF's assists leader in a team-best nine games
- TWICE named the SEC Freshman of the Week (Dec. 8-14 and Jan. 5-11)
- Just missed a triple-double vs. UCF (Dec. 30) - 14 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists
- at Tennessee (in first SEC road game): game-high 18 points, game-high 8 assists with 6 rebounds
- Completed a 'career triple-double' with 10 assists at Ole Miss (Jan. 10) ... had 10 rebounds vs. UCF (Dec. 30) and first double-digit scoring game was 13 points vs. Florida State (Nov. 16)
Lovely Lorenzen- It's been everything EXCEPT a "sophomore slump" for Haley Lorenzen
- UF's third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder
- this year has been UF's leading scorer in 3 games (tied for the most on the team)
- has been UF's leading rebounder in a game three times (second-most on the team)
- Scored in a team-leading 44 consecutive games
- Six double-figure scoring games -(tied for third-most on the team)
- Earned MVP honors at the Omni Hotels Classic, Nov. 27-28 in Colorado, where she compiled 26 points (12-17), 16 rebounds, 4 steals
Florida's DEPTH at a Glance!On the 13-player roster...- 10 Gators average at least 13 minutes of playing time per game
- 9 Gators average at least 6.5 points per game
- 11 Gators have made at least one three-pointer (Fleming and Lorenzen have never attempted a three-pointer).
- 8 have started at least one game during their respective Gator careers.
- 7 have been UF's leading scorer in a game
- 7 have been UF's leading rebounder in a game this season
Balance, too! Quotes from the Court – UF Head Coach Amanda Butler:On Georgia mirroring Florida's balanced lineup:"It's a little easier to scout a team when they have one true top scorer and you can put together some defensive schemes for her or think about matchups. When you have a team that has four or five candidates who can score 20 or more points on any given night or who can post a double-double on any given night, it makes the challenge much greater.
"That challenge certainly exists with Georgia. Whether it's (Tiaria) Griffin or (Shacobia) Barbee or (Marjorie) Hempe – they have so many players and they are very similar to us. They are a veteran team. They have a lot of juniors and seniors who know what it's like to compete in this league. They understand this rivalry and just how intense it is every year no matter where we play or what the win-loss records look like. They are a very good team. (Head Coach) Joni (Tayor) is doing a great job with them. It's going to be a great challenge."
Game Day at a Glance- Who: #20/21 Florida (14-2, 2-1 SEC) hosts Georgia (12-4, 0-3 SEC)
- Where: Stephen C. O'Connell Center (11,548) * Gainesville, Florida
- When: Thurs., January 14, 2016 * 7 p.m. ET
Game Notes: Game Coverage & More! Opening Tip- Thursday's game is the first of two meetings between UF and UG this year (will play again in Athens on Feb. 21)
- 12 of the last 13 games in the series vs. Georgia have been decided by nine points or less
- The Gators last win at home vs. the Lady Bulldogs was on February 19, 2012 (6157)
- Georgia has won five of the last six games against Florida
- Both of UF's SEC wins have come on the road ... Four of UF's five SEC wins last year came on the road.
- UF leads the SEC (league games only) in assists, steals & offensive and defensive rebounds, while ranking second for scoring offense, blocked shots and field goal percentage defense
Additional Hoopla for Thursday's GamePresenting sponsor: UF Health- $1 Thursdays: Thursday night $1 promotion, all general admission tickets and select concessions items are available for just $1
- Long Sleeve Gators Basketball T-shirts: The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Gators Basketball long sleeve t-shirt!
- Rally Towels: The first 1000 fans in attendance will receive rally towels courtesy of UF Health!
- Free Pizza for Students: Students – arrive early, we'll have free pizza for the first 100 students in attendance!
- UF Health Ticket Deal: All UF Health employees can get free admission to the game with their Gator 1 ID!
- Rowdy Reptile Check-In: Students – check-in with the Rowdy Reptiles Rewards app and earn points towards great prizes all year long!
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