GAINESVILLE, Fla. – For the fifth time in its last six games, the University of Florida women's basketball team (11-10, 2-6) will battle a ranked opponent and for the second time in 21 days it will be the No.13 Kentucky Wildcats (17-4, 6-2) as the teams are set to meet this Sunday at Memorial Coliseum. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m.
| Date: |
Sunday, Feb. 2 |
| Time: |
1 p.m. ET |
| Matchup: |
Florida (11-10, 2-6) vs. No. 13 Kentucky (17-4, 6-2) |
| Location: |
Memorial Coliseum (8,000) | Lexington, Ky. |
| TV: |
SEC Network with Brenda VanLengen & Andraya Carter |
| Live Stats: |
Here |
| Radio: |
WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM with Kyle Crooks & Brittany Davis |
| Game Notes: |
Florida | Kentucky |
Florida returns to the hardwood for the second time this week after it dropped a highly-contested matchup to LSU Thursday night in Gainesville. Florida's offense was solid, shooting 51 percent from the floor and featuring four different double-figure scorers, but its defense couldn't contain the Tigers, who connected for a season-high eight three-pointers. The Gators defense limited all-league talent, Ayana Mitchell to a mere four points, and
Lavender Briggs compiled another impressive performance offensively, it just wasn't enough as Florida fell for the fifth-straight time.
Despite their recent struggles, Florida continues to display bright spots up and down its lineup. Arguably the brightest has been the first-year standout Briggs who has finished in double figures in 18 of her 20 games played and continues to pace all SEC rookies in scoring at 14 points per game. Briggs' impact is significant from a national perspective as well as the Utah native is the only freshman in the Power Five to rank top 10 in their respective conference in scoring.
Redshirt-junior Kiki Smith, the team's floor general on the court and team's pace setter off of it, has really emerged as a dependable scorer in her second season with the Orange and Blue. The junior college transplant has upped her scoring by over 80 percent (12.8) when compared to last season and five times has scored over 14 points in SEC play. Fellow upperclassmen and one of just three junior or seniors in the Florida rotation,
Zada Williams has been a steady presence in the paint for the Gators. The Sunshine State native has scored 10 or more points in 12 games, exceeding her mark from last season, and is the team's top rebounding.
Nina Rickards, who has started the last 12 contests, continues to see her role evolve on both ends of the court. Rickards logged a season-high 34 minutes vs. LSU Thursday and finished with a season-high five field goals and a total of 11 points.
Rickards and Briggs account for two of the seven underclassmen on the UF roster, and despite having a relatively small amount of experience, the group plays quite a big role.
The Gators lead the SEC in games played by underclassmen (132) and rank second in games started (62). UF ranks in the top four in the league in points scored by freshmen (502), points scored by underclassmen (805), and first and second year player account for 61 percent of the Gators' offense.
Heading into their 22nd game last season (which also happened to be against Kentucky in Lexington), the Gators' record stood at 5-16. This season, the Gators feature an 11-10 mark and have seen improvement in their offense, defense and rebounding. Florida's field goal percentage is up nearly four percent, it's allowing nearly five points fewer a game and its rebounding has seen an uptick also.
The scrappy Gators have more wins than they did last season (8-23) and have recorded three road wins, after claiming one a year ago.
Night in and night out, the SEC offers the nation's premier competition but as of late Florida's road has been particularly challenging. In their first eight SEC games, the Gators have taken on six of the top seven teams in the standings and those teams have a combined record of 103-22 (.824).
For the first time since the 2002-03 season, Florida will take on six top 25 foes in its first nine league games when it squares off with Kentucky Sunday.
No. 13 Kentucky (17-3, 6-2) enters the contest tied for third place in the conference standings. UK sophomore Rhyne Howard (23.2 points per game) sustained a finger injury against Auburn this past Monday and is expected to be out until mid-February. Despite the standout's absence, the Wildcats posted a 62-47 win over Missouri on Thursday. Redshirt-senior guard Amanda Paschal rose to the occasion with a career-high 18 points.
Arizona State transfer Sabrina Haines is also an impact player for the Wildcats as she averages 10.9 points per contest. The Wildcats limited Missouri to just 11.1 percent shooting from three-point range and allow opponents to shoot just 24 percent from distance on the year. UK's defense has been elite; it allows a league-low 55.1 points per game and collects 9.8 steals per game. UK holds a 458-157 (.744) all-time record at Memorial Coliseum.
Kentucky is under the direction of 13th-year head man Matthew Mitchell. The former Florida assistant has led the Wildcats to postseason appearances in 11 of his 12 seasons at the helm.
In the 57 all-time meetings between the programs, Kentucky holds a 32-25 edge. UK has claimed the past five matchups and 13 of the last 16 meetings. Florida hasn't picked up a victory in the series since Jan. 31, 2016 when it defeated No. 12 Kentucky, 85-79 at the O'Dome.
When the teams met in the Swamp on Jan. 12, Florida went toe to toe with nationally-ranked Wildcats for the majority of the game and faced only an eight-point deficit heading into the fourth, but Kentucky pulled away in the fourth, outscoring the Gators 23-11. Smith paced UF paced with 14 points while Howard tallied 22 for UK.
Following Sunday's showdown in the Bluegrass State, the Gators receive their second and final "bye week" and won't return to game action until Sunday, Feb. 9 when they host the Georgia Lady Bulldogs on SEC Network.
NOTABLES
- Kentucky marks the sixth AP Top 25 opponent Florida has faced since beginning conference play on Jan. 2 and eighth overall.
- Florida and Kentucky met just 21 days ago in Gainesville. The Wildcats are one of three SEC squads Florida doubles up against, the others are Georgia and Arkansas.
- The Gators shot 51 percent in their loss to the Tigers Thursday, their highest field goal percentage in a loss since Nov. 14, 2017 against Arkansas St. Florida's offense was effective and diverse as all nine players scored including four in double figures.
- Smith (34.9) and Briggs (34.8) rank first and second in the SEC in minutes played. Sarah Lowe (2002-06), Florida's 2020 SEC Legend, holds the all-time mark for minutes played by a freshman at 35.2.
- Smith, the team's second leading scorer, after a combined eight points vs. No. 24 Tennessee and No. 12 Texas A&M, has recorded 10 or more points in consecutive contests. Smith tied her season high with six assists vs. LSU.
- In the 2017 NCAA Tournament, coach Cam Newbauer's No. 13-seeded Belmont Bruins took on No. 4 Kentucky inside of Memorial Coliseum, the site of Sunday's contest. The Bruins fell 73-70 in a thrilling NCAA First Round contest. It will be Newbauer's first time back in the gym; a season ago the teams played at Rupp Arena.
- Of Florida's 10 losses those teams have combined for a 161-47 record (.774 winning percentage) as of Jan. 31.
- Kentucky head coach Matthew Mitchell spent three seasons as an assistant with Florida from 2000-03. He spent two campaigns with Carol Ross and one on staff with Carolyn Peck.
- Briggs' 14.0 points per game average is the highest by a UF rookie through their first 20 games in 28 years and leads all SEC rookies.
- In its last two games, Florida's defense has managed to slow down two of the league's top scorers in Chelsea Dungee of Arkansas and LSU's Ayana Mitchell. The Gators held Dungee to a season-low seven points and Mitchell to a season-low four.
- Rickards is averaging 8.2 points per game over last 5 games after notching a 1.4 points per game average in 5 games leading up.
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