Gators Aim to Continue Momentum when Hosting Kennesaw State Saturday at 4 pm

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A big weekend of athletic excitement and competition continues on the UF campus, where the Gators women's basketball team plays host to Kennesaw State on Saturday, with tip-off scheduled for 4 p.m. in the O'Connell Center.

Additional Hoopla for Saturday's Game

· Football Ticket Promotion: Fans can show their Football ticket vs. FAU and receive FREE admission to the game!

· Bring 3, Get in Free: Fans who bring 3 kids age 17 and under, will receive FREE general admission seating! And kids are already FREE!

Parking for Saturday's Game

· The parking garage in the O'Connell Center parking lot will open for basketball fans beginning at kick-off (12 Noon) of the football game. Entrance to the garage is only available off of SW 2nd Avenue.

· Fans must be parked inside the garage before 3:15 p.m., at which time traffic patterns will change to accommodate the outflow of football parking patrons.

· Alternate parking also will be available at the Law School, Frat Row and Track to the West, as well as the Reitz Union Garage.

At a Glance

· The Gator football team plays host to the Florida Atlantic Owls next door at The Swamp beginning at 12 Noon.

· Florida is in the middle game of a three-game homestand and are coming off an impressive 82-72 upset victory against No. 6/7 Florida State played Monday in the O'Dome.

· KSU is in the middle game of a three-game road trip and are coming off a 61-52 loss at Jacksonville State on Thursday, Nov. 19.

Looking Back: Florida def. No. 6/7 Florida State, 82-72 * Monday, November 16

· The Gators found themselves down 18-9 at the end of the first quarter and then by 15 points, 24-9 and again 26-11, the latter with 6:49 remaining the second quarter before staging their rally that ranked tied for seventh biggest comeback victory in program history.

· Ronni Williams (21) scored in double-figures for the first time this season and 33rd time in her career

· Williams' double-double (21 points, 10 rebounds) was the sixth double-double of her career

· Williams 21-point performance marked the first time a Gator scored 20+ in a game since Kayla Lewis hit 20 at Penn State on March 25, 2014 in the NCAA Second Round

· Simone Westbrook scored 14 points for the second consecutive game

· True freshman Eleanna Christinaki scored a career-best 13 points for her first double-figure scoring game

· Redshirt senior Carlie Needles appeared in her 100th career game

· Needles finished the night with eight points and knocked down two three-pointers. Needles has 161 career three-pointers, leaving her at No. 5 all-time with Steffi Sorensen

· Christinaki knocked down her first collegiate field goal (also a three-pointer) in tonight's contest with 1:57 to go in the first quarter. Christinaki finished the contest with 13 points.

· This is the first time UF has overcome a deficit of 15+ points since December 28, 2013. The Gators were down 16 against Georgetown and earned a 67-65 overtime win

Florida vs. Kennesaw State

· The Gators won the lone game in the series between the two teams.

· UF claimed the 83-62 victory on Nov. 17, 2013 played at the KSU Convocation Center in Kennesaw, Georgia.

· Of the four Gators who posted double-figures in that game, Ronni Williams and January Miller, who scored 14 and 13 points respectively, will appear in the series' second meeting.

· The Owls were picked to finish fourth in the A-Sun Preseason Coaches' Poll, with FGCU selected to win the conference.

· KSU's Jasmine McAllister was a unanimous selection to the preseason All-Conference Team. She had 15 double-doubles last year, the 22nd-most in the nation.

Owls Flying Home

· Four members of the Kennesaw State squad are natives of the Sunshine State.

· Deja McPhee and Katie Polinsky are from Gainesville!

· McPhee attended Santa Fe College, while Polinsky earned her diploma from The Rock School, also the same prep alma mater of Gator redshirt-senior Viktorija Dimaite.

· Alexis Jean from a freshman from Port Saint Lucie and Tayler Smith is from Sebastian.

FSU Win Aftermath - People Noticed

· The Gators defeated No. 6/7 Florida State, 82-72, on Monday, Nov. 16.

· Florida's win was impressive enough that the voters of the WBCA-USA Today Coaches' Poll took notice and gave the Gators 20 votes the following day (Nov. 17 poll) - ranking them unofficially at No. 33 in the country.

· It is the first time UF has received votes in the COACHES poll since Feb. 16, 2014. The Gators lost consecutive games (vs. Missouri and at South Carolina) and lost their votes.

· This is the first time UF has received votes in either major national poll since earning votes in the Associated Press Poll on Feb. 23, 2014.

Sharp-Shooting Career

· Carlie Needles is 161-474 (34.0%) in her career from the three-point arc.

· Entering today's game, she is tied for No. 5 all-time in UF history with Steffi Sorensen (2008-10).

· Next on the chart: 194 by Jordan Jones (2009-12).

Gripping Gators

· Florida is 1-1 this year in games decided by 10 points or less

· 14 of UF's 30 games last year were decided by 10 points or less.

· The Gators were 5-9 in those games this year.

· 17 of Florida's games in 2013-14 were decided by 10 points or less (10-7 record).

Quotes from the Court – UF Head Coach Amanda Butler

On Kennesaw State:

“It's a team that is very battle-tested already. They have been in three very tight ball games and have one of the most dominating post players in their league. They have a senior point guard and are very well coached. They are one of those teams that will keep getting better as the year goes on and will improve with each game they play. They have a little bit of an advantage over us in that they've played more games.”

On keeping Gator's focused after Monday's win against Florida State:

“This is one of those times when you rely heavily on your senior leadership and your returners to set a tone and really display the maturity that I expect to see and that should manifest itself in terms of our level of focus every single day. There should not be any drop in our focus and intensity in this game. If anything, it should rise because this is our next game and that makes it the most important game of the year.”

On what she would Gator fans attending the football game about attending the basketball game:

“It's easy – you get in free with your football ticket. We hope everyone will take advantage of the scheduling. We placed our game time when we did so that everyone could go and celebrate a Gator football victory in The Swamp and then take that emotion and Gator pride on over to the O'Dome. I would tell fans that they won't regret it if they do!”

Game Day Information

· Florida (1-1, 0-0 SEC) hosts Kennesaw State (1-2, 0-0 A-Sun)

· Stephen C. O'Connell Center (11,548) * Gainesville, Fla.

· Sat., November 21, 2015 * 4 p.m. ET

Media Notes (PDF)

· Florida: http://www.gatorzone.com/basketball/women/stats/notes/pre/20151121160000.pdf

· Kennesaw State: http://www.ksuowls.com/news/2015/11/18/WBB_1118151343.aspx

Game Coverage & More!

· Internet Audio: LIVE thru www.Gatorzone.com (FREE) with Adam Schick & Brittany Davis

· Television: none

· Internet Video: WatchESPN

· Internet Scoring: Stat Broadcast (FREE) via Gatorzone.com