Big SEC Standings Implications When Florida Plays Auburn Sunday 2 pm ET
Florida leads the SEC in steals, thanks in part to Simone Westbrook, while Auburn ranks second.
Photo By: Jim Burgess
Saturday, February 13, 2016

Big SEC Standings Implications When Florida Plays Auburn Sunday 2 pm ET

Kathy Cafazzo, UAA
The SEC Network will televise the big game featuring Florida at Auburn on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT).

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AUBURN, Ala. – Florida continues it big road stretch on Sunday, when the Gators travel to The Plains and face Auburn, which is receiving votes in this week's national coaches poll.
 
Tip-off from Auburn Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT.
 
SEC Network will provide live television coverage of the game, with Cara Capuano and Nell Fortner calling the action.
 
Twice the Fun
  • In this year's 16-game SEC schedule, the Gators are scheduled to play Auburn, Georgia and LSU twice.
  • Florida and Auburn meet again in the regular-season finale played in Gainesville on February 28.
 
Where we Stand
  • The Gators enter Sunday's set of league games with a 7-4 SEC record.
  • In the SEC standings, Florida is ...
  • a half-game behind Mississippi State (8-4 SEC) for second place
  • Tied with Texas A&M (7-4)
  • A half-game ahead of Auburn and Georgia (6-5) - and the Gators play three of their final five games against the Tigers and Lady Bulldogs!
  • One game ahead of Vanderbilt (6-6) - and the Gators and Commodores meet Feb. 18 in Gainesville.
  • SEC women's basketball does NOT divide teams into East-West like other league sports - just Nos. 1-14.
 
11 Down, 5 to Go!
  • Florida has just FIVE regular-season games remaining, including Sunday's outing at Auburn.
  • Three of the five games are on the road.
  • A look at Florida's closing stretch:
  • Feb. 14 at Auburn (7-5 - No. 5 in SEC)
  • Feb. 18 host Vandy (4-7 - No. 11 in SEC)
  • Feb. 21 at Georgia (6-5 - T-No. 6 in SEC)
  • Feb. 25 at LSU (2-9 - T-No. 13 in SEC)
  • Feb. 28 host Auburn (7-5 - No. 5 in SEC)
 
Run vs. Ranked Teams
  • Florida posted a 2-1 record when it recently (Jan. 31-Feb. 11) played a three-game span against three teams each ranked in the top-12 of the national polls.
  • The Gators defeated No. 12 Kentucky, 85-79 in Gainesville on January 31 ...
  • Before knocking off No. 12/11 Texas A&M, 83-81 in Gainesville on February 4 …
  • Before being tripped up by No. 2 South Carolina, 86-71 on February 11 in Columbia.
 
Preseason Picks
  • Florida was voted by the league's coaches and media to finish 12th in the 14-team league.
  • Auburn was selected to finish 13th the SEC by the coaches and by the media.
 
The Series vs. Auburn
  • 53-Game Series: Auburn leads 33-20
  • UF Home: 10-10; Away: 6-15; Neutral: 4-8
  • Sunday marks the 54th meeting between Florida and Auburn. It will be tied for the fourth most games played against one opponent by the Gators.
  • Florida won last year's regular-season game, 63-50, against Auburn and stretched its win streak versus the Tigers to five ... before Auburn continued its late-season momentum and rocked the Gators, 71-49, in the opening round of the SEC Tournament.
 
Go Figure!
  • Florida and Auburn rank No. 3 and No. 5, respectively, nationally for steals!
  • AU's Katie Frerking and UF's Simone Westbrook rank 1-2 in the SEC for steals (all games).
  • UF and AU also rank nationally for Turnovers Forced: #3 and #13
  • UF leads the SEC (league games only) in steals, while ranking second for scoring offense.
 
Not a Lot of Love for the Gators
  • Valentine's Day All-Time Record: 3-9, 1-7 SEC (Home: 3-4, Away: 0-5)
  • Valentine's Day has been everything but rosy for the Gators, who are just 3-9 all-time when playing on the 14th of February, including a 1-7 against SEC foes.
  • The Gators also have never won on this day on the road in their five attempts and have lost those five games by an average of 16.8 points per game, the last of which coming against No. 11/13-ranked Texas A&M in 2013 in College Station, where the Gators left heartbroken, 78-71
  • Five of the last six games played on Valentine's Day by the Gators have been against ranked teams, their only victory coming against an un-ranked Kentucky squad in 2002.
  • Florida and Auburn have met once prior on Valentine's Day, and hopefully for the Gators, Cupid's arrow can strike a substantial victory might help heal some of the past heartache.
 
Gripping Gators
  • Florida is 10-3 this year in games decided by 10 points or less, including 6-2 in SEC games
  • 2015-16 games: Temple, Florida State, Ball State, Arkansas State, NC State, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky and Texas A&M.
 
A Gator Win on Sunday would ...
  • Halt UF's three-game losing streak on Valentine's Day and be the Gator's first win on sweetheart's day since the 2001-02 season.
  • Improve UF's overall record to 20-5 and be tied for the third-best 25-game record in program history, trailing only the 22-3 record of the 2008-09 team and the 21-4 mark of the 2000-01 club.
  • Give the Gators their 20th win of the season.
  • Be UF's seventh true road win of the season (7-3), as well as its ninth played away from Gainesville (with a 2-0 record on neutral courts)
 
Florida's DEPTH at a Glance!
  • On the 13-player roster...
  • 10 Gators average at least 12.8 minutes of playing time per game
  • 9 Gators average at least 5.5 points per game
  • 11 Gators have made at least one three-pointer (Fleming and Lorenzen have never attempted a three-pointer).
  • 11 have started at least one game during their respective Gator careers (Dimaite and Young have not), while 10 of the 13 have started at least once this season.
  • 9 DIFFERENT Gators have been UF's leading scorer in a game this year
  • 7 DIFFERENT Gators have been UF's leading rebounder in a game this season
  • 6 DIFFERENT Gators have scored 20 or more points in a game this season
 
Balance, too! 
Looking Back: Florida lost at No. 2 South Carolina (Thursday, February 11)
  • South Carolina held a three-point lead after the first quarter and ripped of the first 16 points of the second and Florida never recovered en route to an 86-71 loss in Columbia on Thursday.
  • The Gators did cut the deficit to eight points in the fourth quarter, but South Carolina was proficient from the free throw line, where the Gamecocks hit 12 straight in the final 3:20 to seal the win.
  • Senior Carla Batchelor scored a career-high 19 points and became the NINTH different Gator to lead the team in scoring this season.
  • The 15-point loss was tied for UF's largest margin in a setback this season (also lost by 15 at Mizzou, Jan. 24)
  • SC outrebounded the Gators by 14, the largest rebound deficit for Florida this year
 
Gator Watch
  • Ronni Williams, a preseason Second Team All-SEC performer, is UF's leading scorer (10.8 ppg) and rebounder (7.5 ppg).
  • In SEC games, Williams is averaging 10.9 points (tied with freshman Eleanna Christinaki) and a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game.
  • Williams ranks No. 5 in the SEC for rebounding in league games
  • She has recorded seven double-doubles this season (12 in career)
  • Has 13 double-figure scoring games this year (tied for most on team with Christinaki)
  • SEC Player of Week (honored Feb. 9) for 20-point, 15-rebound game vs. No. 12 Texas A&M - first such honor of career
 
Rookie Review
  • Eleanna Christinaki is the only true freshman on the Gator squad and has made quite an impact!
  • Has scored in double-figures in 11 of the last 17 games (entering South Carolina)
  • Has 13 double-figure scoring games - tied for most on the team
  • Is UF's assists leader
  • Has been UF's leading game scorer seven times
  • Has been UF's leading rebounder twice
  • Has been UF's assists leader in a team-best 13 games
  • THREE TIMES named the SEC Freshman of the Week (Dec. 8-14, Jan. 5-11 and Jan. 25-Feb. 1)
  • 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)
 
STOP! THIEF! Wait - no, don't stop!
  • Junior newcomer Simone Westbrook is a huge reason why the Gators lead the SEC in steals (all games & SEC games) this season.
  • The crafty guard leads the team in thefts and ranks No. 2 in the league (all games) for steals (Tied-No. 6 in SEC games)!
  • Westbrook has had at least one steal in every game except two (Arkansas State, Texas A&M).
  • She's had a career-high six steals in four games this year.
  • UF has posted 10-plus steals in all but four games this season.
  • UF has at least 10 steals in 14 of the last 16 games (entering Auburn game)
 
Quotes from the Court – UF Head Coach Amanda Butler:
On the biggest challenges Auburn presents:
"Auburn is one of the great defensive teams in this league. They play a system and a style that gives a lot of teams trouble. We have to be very aggressive. They play super at home and we have to match their energy. They play primarily zone. They use their length and athleticism very well and do a great job of keeping people off balance. Offensively, they have a lot of different weapons. They have players like Katie Frerking who are playing at a super high level. From my standpoint, she's one of the most improved players in the league from last year."
 
On how tight the league standings are with a few weeks left in the season:
"It's an indication of the strength of our league. It's an advantage to have a veteran team at this point of the season that understands what's at stake and the value of each possession. There is very little separation between the teams and very little margin for error. All of those things are important to be aware of, but at the same time it's going to be the teams that play with the most fearless spirit and play very free and aren't afraid of losing who will do the best down the stretch."
 
Game Day at a Glance
  • Who: #16/19 Florida (19-5, 7-4 SEC) at Auburn (17-8, 7-5 SEC)
  • Where: Auburn Arena (9,121) * Auburn, Alabama
  • When: Sun., February 14, 2016 * 2 pm ET
 
Game Notes (PDF): 
Game Coverage & More! 
Opening Tip
  • Florida (7-4) enters Sunday's game a half-game back of second place in the SEC standings, while Auburn (7-5) is a half-game behind the Gators (and Texas A&M)
  • The Gators have just FIVE regular-season games remaining, with three of those on the road.
  • Florida and Auburn rank No. 3 and No. 5, respectively, nationally for steals!
  • AU's Katie Frerking and UF's Simone Westbrook rank 1-2 in the SEC for steals (all games).
  • UF and AU also rank nationally for Turnovers Forced: #3 and #13
  • UF leads the SEC (league games only) in steals, while ranking second for scoring offense.
  • 13 of UF's games have been decided by 10 points or less (10-3), including eight SEC games (6-2).
 
 
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