Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida women's basketball team continues SEC play Sunday when it travels to Georgia for its first of back-to-back road games. After three-consecutive matchups against top 15 opponents to kickoff its conference campaign, UF looks to return to its winning ways and snap its skid against the Lady Bulldogs at Stegeman Coliseum.
 
Tipoff is slated for Noon ET and the 77th all-time meeting between the programs will be broadcast nationally on the SEC Network.
 

GAME INFO

Date:	Sunday, Jan. 10
Time:	Noon ET
Matchup:	Florida (7-4, 0-3) at RV Georgia (9-1, 1-1)
Location:	Stegeman Coliseum.| Athens, Ga.
TV:	SEC Network Paul Sunderland and Andraya Carter
Live Stats:	Here
Radio:	WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM with Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis
Notes:	Florida | Georgia

UF fell in a close one to No. 14 Mississippi State, 68-56, Thursday night in Gainesville. Florida hung tough with the SEC stalwart and trailed by just seven with under four minutes to play in the final quarter, but could not complete the rally and break through against the Bulldogs. All-SEC talent Lavender Briggs led the way with 22 points including 12 in the fourth quarter.
 
In her first three conference games, all against top 15 opponents, Briggs continues to show why she's one of the league's most talented scorers, averaging 21.3 points per game in those bouts.
 

OPPONENT	PTS	REBS	MINS
No. 5 South Carolina	23	6	38
No. 9 Texas A&M	19	8	39
No. 14 Mississippi St.	22	6	37

Playing alongside Briggs in the Gators' backcourt, senior Kiki Smith continues to build on what has been a strong beginning to her season, averaging 15.2 points and leading the team in assists (3.5) and steals per game (2.5).
 
The 5-foot-9 guard Nina Rickards has 59 rebounds over her last five games and leads the team overall in rebounds per game at 8.0. Rickards is the second-best rebounding guard in the SEC trailing just Mizzou's Aijha Blackwell who averages 9.6 at 6'0.
 
Florida's top forward, Faith Dut, has scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time in her career after adding 11 against No. 9 Texas A&M and 10 more against No. 14 Mississippi State. Dut, who is playing with a swagger and confidence, notched a career-high 27 minutes played and attempted a career-best 12 field goals against the Bulldogs Thursday. The 6-foot-4 forward connected for her first two 3-pointers of her career against the Aggies.
 
UF has faced off with Georgia 76 times over the years, its second most games played against one opponent.
 

OPPONENT	GAMES	W	L
Florida State	78	43	35
Georgia	76	17	59

Florida has dropped its last six to UGA and is in search of its first win at Stegeman Coliseum since Jan. 22, 2017. A season ago, Florida lost by exactly six points to Georgia on two occasions, 59-53 in Gainesville and then 65-59 in Athens. Florida led by as many as eight and for nearly 25 minutes in the matchup, but Georgia outscored the Gators 27-14 in the fourth quarter on March 1, 2020 in Athens. Briggs, adding her seventh double-double, posted 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lady Bulldogs, who were ranked No. 16 in the first NET rankings and are receiving votes in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls, enter the matchup with a 9-1 record which includes a 1-1 start to league play. After a narrow 69-62 loss to No. 12 Mississippi State in its SEC opener, Georgia won big at Auburn 76-44 in its most recent action. UGA's matchup at No. 5 South Carolina Thursday was postponed. 

One of the league's stingiest defensive units, Georgia allows just 55.6 points per game. Senior forward Jenna Staiti paces UGA in scoring and rebounding with 15.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Staiti is the anchor of the aforementioned UGA defense and has 30 blocks to her name already this season. Senior guard Gabby Connally also carries a double-digit points per game average, checking in at 10.3 while fellow senior Que Morrison averages a team-best 3.9 assists per game. In her sixth season at the helm, Joni Taylor leads the Lady Bulldogs. Taylor, a graduate of the University of Alabama, had led UGA to at least 15 victories in every season and twice has won over 20 games.

Notables

• All four of UF's first four opponents in league play have been either ranked or receiving votes. 
• Through games as of Jan. 7, Florida ranks No. 54 in the NET rankings.
• Florida is allowing opponents to shoot just 22.8 percent from three-point range which is tied with South Carolina for tops in the SEC. It is the No. 11 mark nationally. 
• Through her first 40 career games, Lavender Briggs is averaging 15.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
• Briggs ranks No. 7 in the SEC in scoring (17.9) and has scored 20 or more points six times. 
• Coach Cam Newbauer worked with both the UGA men's and women's basketball teams early in his career. He began as a graduate manager with the men's team (2003-04) and later served as the program's director of basketball operations (2005-07). Hall of Fame Coach Andy Landers welcomed Newbauer onto his women's staff as an assistant coach from 2007-12.

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