Women's Basketball Travels to No. 5/6 Vanderbilt Sunday

Sunday, February 1

Nashville, TN

4 p.m.

Florida Gators

Vanderbilt

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Women's Basketball Travels to No. 5/6 Vanderbilt Sunday

Saturday, January 31, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Pregame Notes

By: John Maxwell

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Florida Women's Basketball's seven-day gauntlet of games against nationally-ranked competition concludes this Sunday when they travel to No. 5/6 Vanderbilt for a 4 p.m. EST tip against the Commodores.

This marks the third game in a week against top-six teams for the Gators. No SEC team has ever played three consecutive games against top-six teams over a seven-day stretch during the regular season, and based on available research, no Division I team in the modern era has accomplished that feat either.

Florida was able to keep No. 4/4 Texas' vaunted offense in check during the first quarter Thursday evening, limiting the Longhorns to just 16 points. Unfortunately, Texas picked things up in the second quarter en route to am 88-68 victory. The Gators "Big Three" of Laila Reynolds (18 points), Me'Arah O'Neal (17) and Liv McGill (15) combined to score 50 points in the loss.

McGill now has 1,070 points in her collegiate career, 28 points behind Jana Bragg '88 on the Gators career scoring chart. She has also put herself in the running for the Nancy Lieberman Award presented annually to the Division I Women's Basketball player who exemplifies the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Nancy Lieberman during her career. The sophomore was left off the 20-player preseason list, but the mid-season watch list is due to come out at the beginning of February. McGill is averaging 22.6 points, 5.9 assists and 2.81 steals per game, while the 20 players on the preseason list are averaging a collective 14.4 points, 5.2 assists and 2.17 steals.

Vanderbilt won each of its first 20 games including six SEC contests, before dropping each of their last two decisions, at South Carolina 103-74, and vs. Ole Miss 83-75.

The Commodores are outscoring opponents by 23.7 points per game which is the 11th largest scoring margin in the nation. Vanderbilt makes an average of 9.6 three-pointers per game, which are the sixth most in the country. The 'Dores also connect on 36.9 percent of their shots from distance which ranks 16th in the nation

Prior to the start of SEC play, Vanderbilt was limiting opponents to 36.0 percent shooting from the field, and 28.4 percent from three-point range. Since January 1, opponents are connecting on 46.0 percent of their shots and 37.5 percent from distance.

Sophomore Mikalya Blakes is second in the nation in scoring averaging 24.9 points per game through Friday, Jan. 30. A year ago as a freshman, she finished eighth in the country averaging 23.3 points. Aubrey Galvan (11.8 points per game) and Justine Pissott (11.4) are also averaging double figures in scoring this season, and Pissott ranks 16th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.433), and 15th in made three-pointers per game (3.0).

The Gators are 29-36 all-time against the Commodores, and have won three of the last five, and eight of the last 11 meetings between the clubs. On Jan. 30 last season, the Commodores bested Florida 99-86 thanks to a record-setting 53-point performance by Mikayla Blakes. That was the most points the Gators have ever allowed in a game, as Blakes went 16 of 24 from the field, including five of nine from three-point range, and 16 of 18 from the free throw line. Florida had a pair of 20-point scorers as Ra Shaya Kyle scored 23 points and added 12 rebounds, and Liv McGIll scored 20.

VANDERBILT (20-2, 6-2)

Date: Sunday, Jan. 29
Time: 4 p.m. EST
Site: Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tenn.
Listen: WRUF 98.1 FM / 850 AM
Watch: SECN
Live stats: StatBroadcast

A FLORIDA WIN WOULD …

Improve the Gators' record to 14-10 on the year, and 2-7 in the SEC.
Improve Florida's record to 2-6 on the road this season.
Improve the Gators' record to 30-36 vs. Vanderbilt.
Be Florida's first win against a nationally-ranked opponent since Mar. 6, 2025 (63-61 vs. No. 20 Alabama, SEC Tournament).
Be the Gators first road win against a nationally-ranked opponent since Feb. 6, 2022 (54-51 at No. 14 Georgia).

TALE OF THE TAPE

Florida		Vanderbilt
74.7	PPG	84.8
65.2	OPP PPG	61.1
+9.5	SCORING MARGIN	+23.7
44.9	FG %	47.5
39.4	OPP FG%	40.2
27.5	3 FG%	36.9
28.0	OPP 3 FG%	31.6
5.2	3FG/G	9.6
70.9	FT %	74.3
38.6	REBOUNDS/G	37.4
36.8	OPP REBOUNDS/G	33.6
+1.8	REB MARGIN	+3.7
13.4	ASSISTS/G	20.3
16.7	TURNOVER/G	13.1
+0.80	A/TO RATIO	+1.54
10.0	STEALS/G	12.0
4.13	BLOCKS/G	4.36

PROJECTED FLORIDA STARTERS

	No.	Ht.	Pos.	Class	Hometown/Previous School
Me'Arah O'Neal	8	6-4	F	So	Houston Texas
TBD
Laila Reynolds	13	6-1	G	Jr.	PG County, Md.
Caterina Piatti	14	6-4	F	Fr.	Scandiano, Italy
Liv McGill	23	5-9	G	So	Minneapolis, Minn.

GATOR BITES

Through games of Saturday, Jan. 31, Florida is … 11th in the SEC this season in points per game (74.6) … 13th in scoring defense (65.2) … 12th in scoring margin (+9.5) … 9th in field goal percentage (.449) … 10th in field goal percentage defense (.394) … 15th in three-point field goal percentage (.275) … 5th in three-point field goal percentage defense (.280) … 10th in free throw percentage (.709) … 9th in offensive rebound percentage (.357) … 15th in defensive rebound percentage (.655) … 12th in assists (13.4) … 9th in steals (10.0) … 11th in blocked shots (4.13).
The Gators have held 15 of 23 opponents below 70 points this season.
In SEC games, Florida is ranked 10th in scoring (68.8), sixth in field goal percentage (.428), seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.312), and fifth in field goal percentage defense (.294).
Florida is tied for 32nd in the nation in free throws made per game (14.9), and 36th in free throw attempts per game (21.0) through games of Friday, January 30.
Florida's NET rating, which helps determine which teams make the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship, is No. 55 through games of Friday, Jan. 30.
Liv McGill became the 28th player in Florida Women's Basketball history to score 1,000 points in her career when she connected on a free throw line jumper in the second quarter, Jan. 11 at Auburn. She is now in 25th place with 1,085 career points, 13 points behind Janna Bragg in 24th with 1,098.
Liv McGill and Me'Arah O'Neal have each earned SEC Player of the Week honors this season.
Liv McGill became the first player in Gators women's basketball history to be named a US Basketball Writers Association National Player of the Week on Tuesday, Nov. 11. She averaged 27.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 5.00 steals while connecting on 40.9 percent of her three-point field goal attempts in Florida's three wins. She also was named the SEC Player of the Week for her performance during that same stretch of games.
Liv McGill was named the most outstanding player of the Grand Cayman Classic over Thanksgiving weekend when she averaged 27.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.00 steals and 1.00 blocked shots.
Liv McGill has three games this season of at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals. The other 4,500-+ players competing in women's basketball at the Division I level have 10 25-5-5-5 games.

PROJECTED VANDERBILT STARTERS

	No.	Ht.	Pos.	Class	Hometown / Previous Schools
Mikayla Blakes	1	5-8	G	So.	HouSomerset, N.J. /
Aubrey Galvan	3	5-6	G	Fr.	Deerfield, Ill. /
Justine Pissott	13	6-4	G/F	Sr.	Toms River, N.J. / Tennessee
Ndjakalenga Nwenentanda	15	6-2	G	Gr.	Sioux Falls, S.D. / Texas
Sacha Washington	35	6-2	F	Gr.	Lawrenceville, Ga. /

COMMODORES QUICK HITS

Members of the media picked Vanderbilt to finish seventh in the SEC this season, while the coaches picked them to finish eighth.
Mikayla Blakes was named to the Preseason All-SEC First Team by the media and coaches.
Mikayla Blakes finished eighth in the nation in scoring as a freshman a year ago averaging 23.3 points per game. This season, she is averaging 24.8 points per game which ranks second in the country. In SEC play, she is averaging 27.8 points per game.
The Commodores have made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two years after missing the Big Dance for nine straight seasons.
Vanderbilt Head Coach Shea Ralph played four seasons at UConn, winning the 1999-2000 national championship, and averaging 13.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists in her collegiate career.
The Commodores made an average of 9.6 three-pointers per game, which are the sixth most in the country. They also connect on 36.9 percent of their shots from distance which ranks 16th in the nation.
Vanderbilt averages 12.0 steals per game, which is the 22nd highest average in the country.
Conference opponents are connecting on 46.7 percent of their shots and 38.6 percent of their three-pointers against the Commodores this season. Overall, teams are making 40.2 percent of their field goal attempts and 31.6 percent of their shots from beyond the arc against Vanderbilt.