Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Playing its second of three games this week, the University of Florida women's basketball team returns to game action Thursday night when it welcomes Alabama for a 5 p.m. ET tip at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The game will be streamed live on SEC Network+ as the teams meet for the 62nd time. 
 

GAME INFO

Date:	Thursday, Feb. 18
Time:	5 p.m. ET
Matchup:	Florida (10-9, 3-8) vs. Alabama (13-6, 6-6)
Location:	Gainesville, Fla. | Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center
TV:	SEC Network with Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis
Live Stats:	Here
Radio:	WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM with Tom Collett and Kelly Davis
Game Notes:	Florida | Alabama

UF faces a quick turnaround after taking on No. 17 Kentucky in a special Monday night matchup. Florida shot a season-high 51.7 percent from the floor and connected for 10 3-pointers, but could not break through for a second-straight win over the nationally-ranked Wildcats as it fell 88-80. Taking the court for the first time this season without the services of star guard Lavender Briggs, who will miss the remainder of the season due to a foot injury, the Gators saw several players step up with strong performances and their fight never wavered as they sliced a 16-point deficit down to three in the fourth quarter.
 
With a sizable hole to file with the absence of Briggs, Nina Rickards, Danielle Rainey and Kiki Smith combined for 62 points on Monday. Both Rickards and Rainey set or matched their career highs with 19 and 20 points, respectively, while Smith tallied 23 and 10 rebounds for her team-best sixth double-double of the season. Monday marked the first time this season that three UF players scored 19 or more points in a game. In a season-best 34 minutes of action, Rainey poured in six 3-pointers while Rickards snagged 10 rebounds and also dished out a career-high six assists.
 
Smith is enjoying a breakout senior campaign and over her last seven games, she has even taken it up another notch. She's scored 20 or more points five times and collected four double-doubles during that span, averaging 21.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Twice, Smith put together performances in which she led UF in points, rebounds, assists and steals in a single game.
 
The Crimson Tide enters the matchup sporting a 13-6 overall record which includes a 6-6 mark in league play. Alabama tied for fifth in the SEC standings, began the season 4-1 in league play but has lost five of its last seven games. Alabama snapped a four-game losing streak last time out when it earned a 92-78 win over Auburn on Valentine's Day. Jasmine Walker was tremendous in the Tide's win over the Tigers, scoring a program record 41-points, including 21 in the fourth quarter. The senior forward is enjoying an excellent season as she leads the Tide in scoring (20.8), rebounding (10.2) and minutes played (35.9). Fellow senior, and Florida native, Jordan Lewis averages 16.1 points per contest and has a team-best 76 assists on the season. Ariyah Copeland, also a senior, rounds out Alabama's double-figure scorers with a 14.2 points per game average.

At 75.5 points per game, Alabama has the SEC's fourth-highest scoring offensive unit. The Crimson Tide averages 8.3 three-pointers per game, the second most in the league, and shoots 75 percent as a team from the free throw line, also one of the top marks in the SEC. UA is under the direction of eighth-year head coach Kristy Curry, who has over 400 wins overall in her 22 year coaching career.
 
Over the last 10 meetings between the programs, Florida holds a 7-3 edge; nine of those 10 matchups have been decided by 10 or fewer points. Alabama holds a slight 32-29 edge in the all-time series but the Gators have played to a 16-8 edge at home. Under Newbauer, UF is 1-3 against Alabama but all four matchups have been close including the Gators' win which was a 57-55 nail-biter in Gainesville in February of 2019.
 
Three of UF's final four games will take place in a seven day window as it hosted Kentucky Monday, hosts Alabama Thursday, and travels to Missouri Sunday before wrapping up its regular season Feb. 28 at home vs. Georgia.
 
Following Thursday's tilt, the Gators travel to Missouri for what will be their final regular season road challenge on Sunday.
 
NOTABLES

• Thursday night the program honors Kim Barton, a former women's basketball player and a 1985 graduate of the University of Florida as part of Black History Month and the Hidden Figures initiative that the SEC women's basketball teams are participating in. Barton, a Memphis native and an advertising major at Florida, became the first African-American elected as Alachua County Supervisor of Elections. Barton, who is expected to be in attendance, has been in office since 2016. 
• On Monday, the Gators shot 51.7 percent from the floor (30-of-58) and also shot a blistering 55.6 percent from three-point range (10-of-18).
• The senior spark plug Rainey matched her career high with 20 points against Kentucky, notching her highest tally since she scored 20 against Kentucky in February of 2019 (743 days before). Rainey lit it up with a career-best 6 three's.
• UF featured its sixth different lineup combination Monday vs. Kentucky. Rainey and Jordyn Merritt appeared in the lineup for the second straight game while Toonders made her third consecutive start. Rickards also returned after coming off the bench at LSU. Smith is the lone Gator to have started at 19 games.
• Five of Florida's losses have been by 10 or fewer points.
• Brynn Farrell has scored exactly six points in three-straight games.
• Underclassmen have accounted for 60 percent of Florida's offense and its last starting lineup featured two freshmen, a sophomore and two redshirt-seniors.

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