GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida women's basketball team (9-5, 0-1) returns to action this Sunday, Jan. 5 when it hosts Vanderbilt (11-3, 1-0) for its 2020 SEC home opener at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Tipoff is slated for Noon ET as Florida looks extend its four-game winning streak against the Commodores.
| Date: |
Sunday, Jan. 5 |
| Time: |
Noon ET |
| Matchup: |
Florida (9-5, 0-1) vs. Vanderbilt (11-3, 1-0) |
| Location: |
Gainesville, Fla. | Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell |
| TV: |
ESPNU with Sam Gore & Holly Warlick |
| Live Stats: |
Here |
| Radio: |
WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM with Kyle Crooks & Brittany Davis |
| Game Notes: |
Florida | Vanderbilt |
| Promotions: |
Sundae Sundays
Speed painter halftime act
Free admittance with men's basketball ticket from Jan. 4 vs. Alabama
Zada Williams Player Day |
| Tickets: |
Here |
The Gators fell in their SEC lidlifter this past Thursday at No. 15 Mississippi State.
Lavender Briggs extended her double-figure scoring streak to 12 and Kiki Smith scored 15 or more points for the fifth time this season but it wasn't enough as the Gators were upended 93-47 at Humphrey Coliseum in front of in front of 7,427 fans. Opening its conference slate away from Gainesville for the third-straight season and battling its third AP Top 25 opponent this season, Florida couldn't slow down the high-octane Bulldog offense which scored over 80 points for the ninth time this season.
Briggs has scored 10 or more points in 12 of her first 13 games to start her career, becoming the first Gator to accomplish this feat through records dating back to the 1986-87 season. The Utah native has scored 10 or more points in 12 straight games, the longest streak by any UF player since the 2006-07 season.
Briggs' four double-doubles are tied for the most among SEC freshmen and her 13.9 points per game average is the highest by a UF rookie through their first 13 career games since the 2002-03 season.
2002-03: Bernice Mosby, 14.8
2019-20: Lavender Briggs, 13.9
UF's freshmen class of Briggs,
Nina Rickards and
Faith Dut have all played a role in the team's strong start. The Gators rank second in the conference in games played by freshmen (52) and games started (18).
Redshirt senior
Zada Williams, despite being limited to just seven points over her last two games, has been a bright spot in UF's front court. The Lake Wales, native averages 8.1 rebounds per game to pace Florida. Williams, who has grabbed 15 or more rebounds in a game twice already this season, has increased her rebounds per game average by 68 percent compared to last season's mark of 4.8. She's also racked up 10 double-figure scoring games including a career-high 25 points against Xavier last month.
Smith, one of just three upperclassmen to suit up for the Orange and Blue this season, has been a constant at the point guard position upping her scoring by 90 percent compared to last season (7.1 ppg in 2018-19 to 13.5 ppg in 2019-20).
Redshirt-junior guard Kiki Smith leads the team in points scored, assists and steals.
Florida has claimed the last four meetings between the programs and six of the last seven overall, including last season's 78-66 victory in its conference finale in Nashville. Florida's four-game winning streak against the Commodores is its longest active streak against any SEC foe. Dating back to the origins of the series in 1979, Vanderbilt holds a 33-25 edge.
Vanderbilt (11-3, 1-0) opened its conference campaign with a victory for the first time since the 2014 season as it posted a 77-55 win over Auburn at home on Thursday. The Commodores led by as many as 35 in the contest as junior and Florida native Chelsea Hall led the way with 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. VU, which already has its most victories in a season since the 2016-17 campaign, has won six-straight games.
VU features a quartet of double-figure scorers paced by senior Mariella Fasoula, a Second Team Preseason All-SEC selection, who leads the team in scoring (16.1) and rebounding (8.2). Picked to finish 14th in the SEC Preaseason Media Poll, Vanderbilt has outrebounded all 14 of its opponents this season and has one of the best rebound margins (10.8) in the league. The Commodores, who are outscoring opponents by 14.4 points per game this season, are 2-0 on the road with wins coming at nearby Tennessee State, and Washington. Koi Love, who like Briggs has four double-doubles this season tying her for the league's top mark among freshmen, averages 12.6 points per contest on .545 shooting from the floor. The Commodores lost Brinae Alexander, who was their leading scorer at the time, to an achilles injury on Nov. 28. Vanderbilt is under the direction of fourth-year head coach Stephanie White. White won a National Championship as a player for Purdue in 1999 and played and coached in the WNBA before taking the reins in Nashville.
Both the Gators and Commodores have surpassed their respective win totals from 2018-19.
UF has dropped five-straight SEC home openers, its last win came against Mississippi State in January of 2014.
Player Days continue at the O'Connell Center as the fifth-year senior Williams will be celebrated throughout the game.
Following Sunday's showdown, Florida continues league competition Thursday, Jan. 9 when it travels to Auburn.
NOTABLES
- Florida has already matched last season's win total at home with six victories.
- Florida is off to a 9-5 start and has already eclipsed last season's win total of 8 (8-23).
- The Gators are outscoring their opponents 245-198 in the second quarter, their best scoring margin in any quarter so far this season. Florida has won 11 of its 14 second quarters this season.
- Coach Newbauer spent four seasons at Belmont University, just 0.3 miles away from Vanderbilt. Newbauer elevated the Belmont program to new heights, posting a 79-50 record including a 50-16 mark in conference play and back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths in 2015-16 and 2016-17. BU and Vandy met just once during his tenure as the Bruins fell 65-58 at Memorial Gymnasium in their 2014-15 season opener. Florida's third-year head coach is 2-1 all-time against Vandy (2-0 at UF) and led the Gators to a pair of double-digit victories.
- Brylee Bartram and Vanderbilt junior guard Chelsie Hall played in high school together for three years at Seffner Christian in Tampa.
- In eight games played at home Ariel Johnson is averaging 11.3 points per game and shooting .326 from three-point range. On the road her average dips to 2.0.
- Sunday marks the third of Florida's seven nationally-televised contests and second of five at home.
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