GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Despite tying its season high with 13 made three-pointers, the University of Florida women's basketball team fell 80-62 to No. 19 Texas A&M Monday night at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
 
Funda Nakkasoglu and Danielle Rainey led the way for the Gators, combining for 39 of the team's 62 points in the hard-fought loss.
 
Nakkasoglu, finishing with 22 points, had her best scoring game since she registered 30 against Charleston Southern on Dec. 30, 2018. The Australian went 6-of-9 from 3-point range, tying her season high, and 8-of-18 from the field overall. Nakkasoglu has now finished in double figures a team-best 21 times this season, tying last season's total with two games to play before the SEC Tournament.
 
The Gators, which struggled to shoot it from distance in the first half, finished the game shooting 13-of-31 from beyond the arc thanks to an impressive second half shooting display. Florida knocked down eight of its 13 three-point attempts in the game's final 20 minutes as it used its hot shooting to slice into the Aggie lead.
 
Rainey recorded 17 points along with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Her 17 points marked her seventh game scoring in double figures, and all 17 of the sophomore's points came in the second half.
 
Other notables from the Gators included Zada Williams and Kiki Smith who each finished with a career-high three steals. Smith also dished out six assists and knocked down a three-pointer.
 
Florida got off to a slow start out of the gate, scoring a season-low 17 first half points and faced a 36-17 deficit at the break.
 
The second half, however, was a different story for Florida. The team came out firing on all cylinders right out of the break and looked to storm back on the Aggies. The offense looked prepared to ride the typically hot hand in Nakkasolgu and allow for Rainey to make some noise as well, and the duo delivered.
 
With Nakkasoglu and Rainey pairing up to lead the charge, the Gators outscored the Aggies 28-23 in the third quarter. Florida drained its first five 3-point attempts and shot 62.5 percent in the quarter to help it close the gap.
 
After trailing by as many as 24 points in the second period, a Nakkasoglu trey late in the third allowed UF to get within 12 at 57-45. She finished with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the frame.
 
Texas A&M countered with a 10-0 run to begin the fourth. Florida put up another strong quarter scoring 17 in the final stanza, but the top-25 Aggies proved to be too strong for the scrappy Gators.
 
Three Aggies finished in double figures, led by Kayla Wells' 24. Chennedy Carter, who entered the game leading the conference in scoring, recorded 21 points and four assists.
 
Luckily for Florida, it will have a chance to immediately bounce back as Georgia comes to town on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. Thursday marks Senior Night at the O'Connell Center as Nakkasoglu, the Gators lone senior, will be honored and celebrated.

Up Next
Thursday, Feb. 28 | 7 p.m. ET
Florida (6-21, 2-12) vs. Georgia (17-10, 8-6)
Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center | Gainesville, Fla.
 
Notables

• Florida tied its season high with 13 three-pointers.
• Florida has now hit 213 three-pointers this season, the fourth-highest total in program history.
• Florida's 28 points in the 3rd quarter were its second most scored in a quarter all season.
• Funda Nakkasoglu scored 22 points tonight, marking the 21st time she has scored in double figures this season.
• Nakkasoglu has finished with 20 or more points 11 times this season.
• Nakkasoglu has 1,979 career points. 
• Danielle Rainey added 17 points, finishing in double figures for the seventh time,
• Nakkasoglu's six 3-pointers tonight ties her season-high, she also made six at Florida State on November 11, 2018.
• Florida finished with 12 assists on the game, marking its 21^st game with double-figures.

Quotables
Head Coach Cam Newbauer
Opening statement…
"I'm really proud of our team's fight. We talked a lot at halftime about being aggressive. You see in that third quarter we scored 28 points after only 17 first half points, I thought our players did a good job of just fighting, competing and constantly trying to get better and understanding the flow of the game. I got excited about watching us compete tonight. I'm proud of the team and these two next to us. We challenged Danielle (Rainey) at halftime, we thought she had another gear. The "Dani gear" is what I called it. I didn't think she was going quite as aggressive as she is capable of. She had 17 second-half points which is phenomenal for anyone to do. She 3-of-4 from three and just had a really good floor game for us. Funda (Nakkasoglu) did what Funda does, she kept her eye on the rim and made some really really tough shots. Kiki (Smith) did a great job with 6 assists on 2 turnovers. That was a really good team we played. A really really good team with three big time scorers as you see what they did today. "I'm proud of the fight we showed tonight and how hard we competed."
 
On Florida's press defense at the end of the game and the fight they showed…
"Just the scrambling and the aggressiveness to try and make a play, the fight to keep playing. We talk a lot about not playing to the scoreboard, just playing to get better and improve and sticking with each other. I love how hard we kept huddling towards the game and coming together and sticking together. Corey (Staples) made a great hustle play, getting that back tap steal. The aggressiveness was great. We've talked about keeping that, Danielle (Rainey) mentioned finishing the game. Finishing the game isn't just about winning the game, it's about finishing right, respecting the game and giving everything you have and I felt that we did that tonight."
 
Redshirt-Sophomore Guard Danielle Rainey…
On what the team said to one another in the locker room during halftime…
 
"We first talked about adjustments. I think we all picked up that the vibe was decreasing in the first half. I think we started out the game with a lot of energy despite that we got down early. But in the locker room, we talked about bouncing back because we know that we had been struggling with finishing out games strong. I think the talk in the locker room was amazing. I think it switched on [and] turned another notch for everybody that was sitting in that locker room because they knew, like he [Coach Cam] said, we had another gear. And I think we knew that we could play a little harder than what we were doing. It was very positive. We talked about what we should do, [and] what we're not doing, so we can fix it. I think we just all came to the conclusion that we needed to pick up our attitude and our body language."
 
 Redshirt Senior Guard Funda Nakkasoglu
On her strong play in the third quarter…
"I think I just listened to my teammates. Just reiterating what Dani [Danielle Rainey] said, we came out of the halftime meeting just talking about how we had to keep shooting our shot and that we know and believe in one another. So I think I just took that heads on and listened to my teammates and with that confidence, I just shot the ball and, thankfully, they went in."
 
 
FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators