Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida plays host to Auburn on Sunday, February 28 in the regular-season finale for both teams. It also is "Senior Day" and the Gators will honor their five seniors in a postgame ceremony.
 
Tip-off from the O'Connell Center is set for 2 p.m. ET.
 
While there will not be television coverage of the game, live streaming video will be provided by SEC Network +, with Tom Collett and Jennifer George calling the action.
 
A Valentine's Day to Forget

• Exactly two weeks ago Sunday, Florida suffered its most lopsided setback of the season.
• It was a memorable Valentine's Day for all the wrong reasons, as the Gators dropped an 80-58 loss to Auburn at Auburn Arena.
• The 22-point decision is Florida's most lopsided setback this season.
• The Gators have posted a 2-1 record since that game, while the Tigers went 0-2, with home losses against Missouri and Texas A&M.

 
Senior Day

• The Gators will recognize their five seniors – Carla Batchelor, Viktorija Dimaite, January Miller, Carlie Needles and Cassie Peoples - in a postgame ceremony on Sunday.

 
High FIVE

• The FIVE seniors on the Gators roster are the most since the 2011-12 squad also featured five seniors.
• Of those five, only January Miller is a 'true' fourth-year senior - Carla Batchelor played her first two years at NW Florida State College; Viktorija Dimaite is playing just her second year of college ball because of an injury-plagued career; Carlie Needles redshirtted her initial season due to injury; and Cassie Peoples transferred from Texas after playing six games and sat out the next year due to NCAA rules for transfers.
• The 2011-12 senior class: Deana Allen, Lanita Bartley, Jordan Jones, Ndidi Madu and Azania Stewart, who was the only 'true' senior that year.

 
First Degree: Three Gators have already received their respective Bachelor's degrees:

• Viktorija Dimaite - Anthropology and Criminology (dual major) (Spring '15)
• Carlie Needles - Telecommunications: Media and Society (Spring '15)
• Cassie Peoples - Telecommunications Media and Society (Summer '15)

 
Upcoming Degrees

• January Miller is taking her last two classes and will graduate this spring with a degree in Telecommunications/Production. 
• Carla Batchelor is scheduled to graduate this summer with her degree in African American Studies.

 
And now, back to Sunday's HUGE game!
 
SEC Tournament Seedings on the Line

• Without going into the dozens of different scenarios, Florida can be seeded anywhere from No. 3 to No. 8 in the 14-team SEC Tournament that gets underway on Wednesday in Jacksonville.
• Seeds 1-4 earn a double-round bye and begin play on Friday.
• Seeds 5-10 earn a first-round bye and being action on Thursday.
• Seeds 11-14 open the event on Wednesday morning, with the first game tipping-off at 11 a.m. ET from Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

 
Where we Stand

• The Gators enter the final day of the regular season with a 9-6 SEC record.
• In the SEC standings, Florida is currently in a three-way tie for FOURTH with Georgia and Kentucky.
• Auburn is one-game back and tied with Missouri at 8-7 for seventh.
• Mississippi State is 10-5 and plays at Alabama on Sunday with a chance to lock up the No. 3 seed with a win.
• South Carolina (13-0) has already secured the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed.
• Texas A&M has clinched the No. 2 seed, regardless of its outcome on Sunday at home against Kentucky,
• SEC women's basketball does NOT divide teams into East-West like other league sports - just Nos. 1-14.

 
Last Time We Played: Auburn 80, #16/19 Florida 58 (February 14, 2016 * Auburn Arena * Auburn, AL)

• Carlie Needles and Ronni Williams each scored in double-figures but it wasn't enough for No. 16/19 Florida to halt a red-hot Auburn squad playing at home, as the Tigers earned an 80-58 victory at Auburn Arena and won their fifth consecutive game.
• With the team's trading points during a fiercely tight second quarter that featured 16 lead changes and three tied scores, Auburn scored on consecutive possessions off a Florida turnover to ignite a 17-3 run that extended into the third quarter that flipped a one point Gator lead into a 57-44 Tiger advantage.
• Florida's five points in the third quarter were its fewest in a quarter this season (was 8 vs. LSU in 3Q, Jan. 17)
• Florida lost consecutive games for the first time this season.
• The 22-point setback is Florida's largest of the season.
• For the first time this season, UF did not outscore its opponent in any of the four quarters.
• End of First Half: Auburn 48, Florida 43
• There were 19 lead changes and five tied scores
• Florida led by as many as 10 points, 15-5 (5:39), before Auburn came back with a 11-0 run followed by a 6-2 spurt for a 20-17 lead

 
The Series vs. Auburn

• 54-Game Series: Auburn leads 34-20
• UF Home: 10-10; Away: 6-16; Neutral: 4-8
• Sunday marks the 55th 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, which has won the last two games by 22 points in each decision. Those included the 2015 SEC Tournament first round game and this year's regular-season meeting on Valentine's Day in Auburn, where the Tigers broke the Gator's hearts with an 80-58 final.

 
A Gator Win on Sunday would ...

• Halt a two-game slide against Auburn.
• Cap Florida's home record this season at 13-2.
• Improve UF's overall record to 22-7 and be tied for the third-best 29-game record in program history, trailing only the 23-4 record of the 2000-01 team and the 22-5 mark by the 2008-09 club.
• Mark Head Coach Amanda Butler's 175th win with the Gators.

 
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 5.1 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 season
• 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!

• UF ranks No. 13 in the nation in scoring offense (79.1 ppg), however, the team's leading scorers - Ronni Williams and Eleanna Christinaki- average just 11.3 and 10.6 points per game, respectively.
• Sophomore Haley Lorenzen averages 9.5 points, while senior Cassie Peoples and junior Simone Westbrook are close behind at 9.0 and 8.0 per game, respectively.

 
Gator Watch

• Ronni Williams, a preseason Second Team All-SEC performer, is UF's leading scorer (11.3 ppg) and rebounder (7.7 ppg).
• In SEC games, Williams is averaging team-bests of 8.5 rebounds per game, while netting 11.8 points.
• Williams ranks No. 5 in the SEC for rebounding in league games
• She has recorded eight double-doubles this season (13 in career)
• Has 17 double-figure scoring games this year (most on team)
• 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 15 double-figure scoring games - second-most on the team
• Is UF's assists leader
• Has been UF's leading game scorer 8 times
• Has been UF's leading rebounder twice
• Has been UF's assists leader in a team-best 15 games
• THREE TIMES named the SEC Freshman of the Week (Dec. 8-14, Jan. 5-11 and Jan. 25-Feb. 1)

 
Lovin' 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 third-most on the team)
• Has been UF's leading rebounder in a game five times (second-most on the team)
• Scored in a team-leading 56 consecutive games
• 10 double-figure scoring games (the fourth-most on the team)

 
STOP! THIEF! Wait - no, don't stop!

• Junior newcomer Simone Westbrook is a huge reason why the Gators lead the SEC in steals (SEC games and overall) this season.
• The crafty guard leads the team in thefts and ranks No. 4 in the league (all games) for steals (Tied-No. 11 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 five games this season.
• UF has at least 10 steals in 17 of the last 20 games (entering Auburn game)

 
Game Day at a Glance

• Who: Florida (21-7, 9-6 SEC) hosts Auburn (18-10, 8-7 SEC)
• Where: Stephen C. O'Connell Center (11,548) * Gainesville, Florida
• When: Sun., February 28, 2016 * 2 pm ET

 
Game Notes:

• Florida
• Auburn

 
Game Coverage & More!

• Radio: LIVE on ESPN Gainesville (WRUF-AM850/FM95.3) and Jacksonville (WFXJ-AM930) with Adam Schick & Brittany Davis
• Internet Audio: LIVE thru FloridaGators.com (FREE)
• Television: none
• Internet Video: SECNetwork + with Tom Collett & Jennifer George
• Internet Scoring: (FREE) thru FloridaGators.com
• Ticket Prices:
  • $5 – Reserved General Admission (Sections I1, J1)
  • $4– General Admission    
  • FREE – UF and SFC Students with valid ID
  • FREE – Children 17 and Under (in General Admission areas)

 
Opening Tip

• Sunday's game is the regular-season finale for both teams.
• Auburn handed Florida its most lopsided defeat of the season in the earlier meeting on February 14.
• Depending on the results of other games played Sunday, Florida's SEC Tournament seed can be anywhere from No. 3 to No. 8.
• The Gators will honor their five seniors in a postgame ceremony.
• Florida (9-6) enters Sunday's game in a three-way tie for fourth in the SEC standings with Georgia and Kentucky.
• UF leads the SEC (league and all games) in scoring offense and steals.
• 13 of UF's games have been decided by 10 points or less (10-3), including eight SEC games (6-2).

 
Additional Hoopla for Sunday's Game
Presenting Sponsors: SunTrust & Pulse 106.9

• Season Ticket Holder Shootaround Breakfast: Season ticket holders are invited to attend an exclusive breakfast and sneak peek at the Gators shoot around in preparation for Auburn. Entry through Gate 1 of the O'Connell Center beginning at 8:30 AM.  Sandwiches, muffins, coffee and much more will be served.
• Photo Frame Giveaway: The first 500 fans will receive aluminum Florida Gators photo frames!
• Champions of Character: Elementary and middle schools in Alachua, Marion, Columbia, Bradford, and Putnam counties are invited! Join us as we welcome local students and Champions of Character!  Special recognitions throughout the game. All kids participating in program receive goodie bag at Gate 2 lobby.
• Senior Day: Don't miss the regular season finale as we recognize Carla Batchelor, Viktorija Dimaite, January Miller, Carlie Needles and Cassie Peoples with a special post-game ceremony.
• Sunday Layup Line: Kids 12 and under can participate in post-game layups on the court for 15 minutes! (Following Senior Day ceremony)—sign up at Gate 4
• Kids Korner: Children in attendance can enjoy the poster-making station and kids activities between gates 3 and 4!

 
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