Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida women's basketball team kicks off its 2020-21 campaign Wednesday, Nov. 25 when it welcomes Grambling State for an afternoon matchup at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET as the squads meet for their respective season openers for the second straight season. The contest will be streamed live on SEC Network+ with Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis on the call. 
 

GAME INFO

Date:	Wednesday, Nov. 25
Time:	1 p.m. ET
Matchup:	Florida (0-0) vs. Grambling State (0-0)
Location:	Gainesville, Fla. | Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell
TV:	SEC NETWORK+ with Kyle Crooks & Brittany Davis
Live Stats:	Here
Radio:	WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM  with Tom Collett & Kelly Davis
Game Notes:	Florida
Tickets:	Here (Digital tickets only)
COVID-19 Protocols:	Information Here
Parking Information:	Parking restrictions in the Green lots have been lifted. Patrons are encouraged to park in the Green section of the parking structure (second and third floors).

With Preseason All-SEC selection Lavender Briggs, Nina Rickards, Kristina Moore and senior point guard Kiki Smith all back in the fold, UF is one of just four SEC squads to return four or more starters this year. The Gators, who led the SEC in minutes played by underclassmen a season ago, return six players from last year's unit. Florida notched a seven-win improvement last season and doubled its conference win total. 

The Gators are one of just six teams in the league to return their top two scorers with Briggs (15.0 points per game) and Smith (11.9 points per game).

Briggs is poised for another strong season in 2020-21 after a sensational debut campaign with the Gators. The Utah native tallied at least 10 points in 26 of her 29 games played and scored 435 points, the fifth-most by a UF freshman in program history.

Smith, who finished last season averaging 11.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists, took a big step forward as a redshirt-junior a year ago. Setting the tone with her supreme quickness and diligent point guard mindset, Smith has led the squad in assists the last two seasons.

The veteran Moore, who has started all 50 games that she has played in at UF, also returns to the lineup along with the sophomore Rickards, who shot a team-best 41.2 percent from three-point range during SEC play in 2019-20.

After missing the entire 2019-20 campaign, redshirt-senior guard Danielle Rainey returns to the court for UF. Rainey, who after transferring in from TCU, averaged 8.2 points per game for the Gators in the 2018-19 season. A shooter with a veteran's offensive game, Rainey scored 10 or more points seven times and started nine games for the Gators during her lone season of competition.

Canadian Faith Dut, who earned more and more playing time as her rookie season progressed, is expected to provide heavy minutes at the forward position for the Gators.

In addition to Florida's core of returning talent, it also features a bevy of incoming prospects. Freshman forward Jordyn Merritt, the highest-ranked recruit to sign with Florida since 2013, headlines the group and figures to factor in heavily to the Gators' plans. Fellow rookies Brynn Farrell and 6-foot-5 forward Floor Toonders will also make their Florida debut Wednesday.

The UF roster features the services of two graduate transfers in 6-foot-4 center Emily Sullivan (North Carolina) and wing player Cydnee Kinslow (Long Beach State). Redshirt-sophomore Yasmeen Chang also joined the Gators via the transfer portal and at this point is expected to be sit out the 2020-21 season due to NCAA transfer regulations.

The Tigers return eight players from last season's team which finished with a 5-24 record. Grambling State welcomes back its top four scorers from a year ago including Justice Coleman who averaged 15 points per game and garnered second team All-SWAC honors. Brandi Washington is also back for the Tigers, and despite finishing the season averaging only 5.0 points per game, poured in 21 when the teams met last season. GSU was pegged to finish seventh in the SWAC preseason poll.

Florida and Grambling State played 386 days ago at Grambling State where the Gators picked up a 72-65 win on Nov. 5, 2019. After trailing 52-51 heading into the final period, Florida found another gear and outscored the Tigers 21-13 to close out the contest. Three Gators finished in double figures paced by Smith who did a little bit of everything with 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists. It was the first meeting between the programs. 

Following their tussle with the Tigers, Florida resumes play Sunday, Nov. 29 when it travels to Florida State. The Gators and Seminoles will meet for the 77th time when they square off in Tallahassee. The Gators hold a 42-34 edge in the all-time series against the Seminoles, which dates back to 1975, but have dropped the last four.

Tipoff Tip Ins

• The Gators have had success in season openers historically, notching a 27-19 record in season lidlifters.
• Nov. 25 marks the latest start date the Gators have kicked off a season in the 1994-95 season when they opened against Arizona at the Wahine Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• Against SWAC teams, Florida is 12-2 and went 2-0 against them last season.
• At 6-foot-1, Florida's roster possesses its tallest average height since Coach Newbauer took over the program is 2017-18.
• With 66 percent of its scoring back from last season's squad, the Gators return the majority of their offensive production.
• A season ago at 9-7, Florida produced its best home record since the 2015-16 campaign when it went 13-2 in Gainesville and qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
• Florida takes on the challenge of going up against 10 teams that won 20 or more games in 2019-20 and will square off with six squads that finished in the final AP Top 25 rankings of 2020.
• Florida's roster features three college graduates with Danielle Rainey (Florida, 2020), Cydnee Kinslow (Long Beach State, 2020) and Emily Sullivan (North Carolina, 2020). 

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