Gators Host No. 1 South Carolina Monday at 7 p.m.
Monday, January 19, 2015 | Women's Basketball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – There are plenty of reasons for Gator fans to be excited for Monday, January 19!
Not only will Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday be observed with a holiday break from classes on campus, the Gators play host to undefeated and No. 1-ranked South Carolina in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center beginning at 7 p.m.
There are promotions galore for fans attending Monday's big match-up, highlighted (no pun intended) by the Gator Glow Night, where the first 500 fans receive a free glow-in-the-dark t-shirt and the first 1,000 take home a free Florida Women's Basketball glow stick necklace!
Gators vs. No. 1
- Monday will be the 11th time the Gators have faced the nation's No. 1-ranked team
- UF is 0-10 all-time against top-ranked teams
- Monday marks the fifth time the No. 1-ranked team has played the Gators in the O'Connell Center, most recently on January 21, 1999 against Tennessee.
- UF's last two games against No. 1 came in the second round of the NCAA Tournament: 2009 at Connecticut (in Storrs) and 2012 vs. Baylor (in Bowling Green, Ohio); both of those teams went on to win the NCAA title that year.
- The closest final margin the Gators have come against the No. 1-ranked team was a five-point decision to Vanderbilt in the O'Dome on Jan. 24, 1993 (today's SEC Network color analyst Carol Ross was the Gator head coach in that contest)
Florida vs. South Carolina: The Series at a Glance
- 33-Game Series: Florida leads 20-13
- UF at Home: 8-7; Away: 10-6; Neutral: 2-0
- South Carolina has a five-game win streak in the series
- The Gator's last win against the Gamecocks was a 65-63 victory in Columbia on Jan. 9, 2011. That game capped UF's five-game series win streak.
- Five of the last seven games have been decided by eight points or less.
Here They Come...
- Monday's game is the second consecutive game for the Gators against a nationally-ranked opponent.
- Florida dropped a tight 62-56 decision at No. 10/11 Kentucky on Thur., January 15, when the game featured 17 lead changes and nine tied scores.
- Seven of UF's final 12 regular-season games are against teams currently ranked in the top-25.
- UF was 3-6 last year vs. ranked opponents
- The highest-ranked team the Gators have ever defeated was No. 2/3 LSU, back on Feb. 16, 2006, when UF stunned the eventual Final Four Tigers, 79-78 in overtime inside the O'Connell Center under Carolyn Peck's direction.
Gator Watch
- Thanks to her 15-point outburst against Ole Miss (Jan. 8), sophomore Ronni Williams regained her spot atop UF's scoring chart.
- Williams is averaging 10.1 points, while converting 48.6 percent from the floor and blocking 10 shots.
- Lone senior Kayla Lewis patrols the paint for UF, collecting 7.2 rebounds per game, along with 9.4 points and hitting a team-leading 53.7 percent from the floor
- Cassie Peoples leads the Gators in assists (71), steals (45) and trips to the free throw line (60), where she leads the SEC with a 88.3 percent clip. She had led the team in scoring until the Jan. 8 home loss to Ole Miss, when she scored 7 points. Peoples has actually scored 11 more total points than Williams, who has played in one fewer game than Peoples because of injury.
Rookies on Display
- South Carolina's A'ja Wilson was the nation's top-rated prep recruit and has not disappointed during her rookie campaign. The 6-5 post is averaging 13.2 points and 7.0 rebounds - both second-best on the squad.
- Florida's Brooke Copeland and Haley Lorenzen have stepped up for the Gators. Through the first five SEC games, the two rookies have combine to average 13.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.0 steals, 2.0 assists and 2.6 blocks per game, while shooting a combined 41.8 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent (9-27, all from Copeland) from the three-point arc.
A Gator Win today...
- Would be Florida's first ever victory against the nation's No. 1-ranked team
- Would halt a five-game losing streak to South Carolina
- Would snap UF's three-game overall skid
- Would be UF's first SEC home win of the season (and of the calendar year)
- Would be Head Coach Amanda Butler's 150th win with the Gators, as well as the 190th of her 10-year head coaching career.
Game Time Decision
- Florida lost its team leader and its “heart and soul” during the loss to Ole Miss (Jan. 8), when Carlie Needles (concussion) left the game with 15:08 remaining.
- She has not been available to play in either of UF's last two games (at Missouri, Jan. 11 and at Kentucky, Jan. 15)
We Back Pat
- SEC member institutions will support The Pat Summitt Foundation during their home basketball games, January 18-26. During the women's games slated for the week, various efforts will be made to increase awareness of The Pat Summitt Foundation.
- Florida will bring the initiative to the Stephen C. O'Connell for two of its home games during the week-long recognition.
- On Monday, January 19, when the Gators host No. 1 South Carolina, and on Sunday, January 25, when the team entertains Arkansas, the student-athletes will wear special purple shooting shirts during its pregame warmup and the coaching staff will wear those same shirts.
Florida (9-9, 1-4 SEC) hosts #1 South Carolina (14-3, 3-1 SEC)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (11,373) * Gainesville, Fla.
Mon., January 19, 2015 * 7 p.m. ET
Game Coverage & More!
- Radio: LIVE on ESPN850 WRUF-AM in Gainesville with Adam Schick & Brittany Davis
- Internet Audio: LIVE thru www.GatorZone.com (FREE)
- Television: SEC Network with Sam Gore & Carol Ross
- Internet Video: WatchESPN
- Internet Scoring: Stat Broadcast (FREE) via Gatorzone.com
- Tickets: 5 for reserved seats; $4 adult general admission; $2 for youth age 17 and under; FREE for UF students
- Parking: FREE in the O'Connell Center Lot Garage
Additional Hoopla for Monday's Game
Gator Glow Night
o First 500 fans receive glow in the dark Florida Women's Basketball t-shirts
o First 1,000 fans receive Florida Women's Basketball glow stick necklaces
o Special glow in the dark halftime entertainment
o Enter to win a glow in the dark light suit at Gate 1!
Student De-stress Zone
o Student specific area located on track level near gate 2 with free food items, games and picture taking
High Five Tunnel
o Kids 12 and under can greet the Gators as they enter to the court!
Lip Sync Contest
o Fans can sign up at gate1 or 2 for a special halftime lip sync contest!
Rowdy Reptiles Check In—Double Points
o Rowdy Reptiles can check in at gate 2 to receive 8 points for attending!
Campus Challenge - Residence hall communities on campus will compete against each other in a March Madness style attendance competition for a chance to win prizes.
• Game Matchup: Murphree VS. Tolbert + Keys Residence Hall
• 2 Nike Store Gift Cards will be given away to students who sign in from participating residence halls
