Florida Gators

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida returns to the court on Wednesday, December 30, following a nine-day break from competition during the holiday season and aims to continue the momentum it built in compiling an 11-game winning streak.
 
The Gators square off against UCF at the Southeastern Conference-American Athletic Conference Challenge (SEC-AAC Challenge) held at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Tip-off between the Gators and Knights is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
Game 1 of the Challenge features Mississippi State against South Florida at 4:30 p.m.
 
See you Again Soon!

• The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena will play host to the 2016 SEC Tournament, March 2-6.
• It is the first time the SEC's postseason tournament will be contested in the state of Florida.

 
A Gator Win on Wednesday would ...

• Be UF's 12th consecutive victory.
• Improve UF's season-opening record to 12-1 which would be the sixth time in program history the Gators have won 12 of their first 13 and the first time since 2008-09 squad ripped off a 15-1 record to start the season before incurring its second loss of the year.
• Tie for the second-longest winning streak in program history.
• Cap UF's record in the month of December with a perfect 7-0 record.
• Mark the fifth time in program history the Gators ripped through the final month of the calendar unscathed.

 
Dandy December

• Entering Wednesday's game, the Gators are 6-0 in the month of December.
• This is the final game for the Gators in the month of December.
• Undefeated Decembers include:
  • 1983-84 (7-0)
  • 1989-90 (6-0)
  • 2005-06 (7-0)
  • 2013-14 (5-0)

 
Team Ties

• UCF head coach Joi Williams got her start in the collegiate coaching world as an assistant coach at Florida, where she was a member of Carol Ross' inaugural staff for the 1990-91 season.
• Williams helped the Gators earn nine NCAA Tournament berths during her 12-year tenure. She was on the sidelines all four years current Gator head coach Amanda Butler played at UF (Butler was recruiting by the previous coaching staff), as well as recruited and coached current UF assistant coach Murriel Page, who is in her sixth year wearing a collegiate coaching hat.
• Butler joined Williams on the Gator coaching staff as an assistant coach for the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons, when Florida advanced to the 1997 NCAA Elite Eight - and Page was a junior on the team.
• Additionally, UCF Director of Basketball Operations Kim Boes served a similar role at UF for several years before joining Williams' staff for the 2007-08 season.

 
UF vs. American Athletic Conference

• Wednesday's game vs. UCF marks the second team from the AAC on the Gator's non-conference schedule.
• UF lost to Temple, 97-91 in its season-opener on November 13 in Philadelphia.
• The Gators sport 68-16 overall record against team from the current alignment of the AAC, with 24 wins coming against UCF and 35 versus South Florida.

 
2013 & 2015 GHC was for the Peoples

• Florida's Cassie Peoples was named the MVP of the 2013 AND the 2015 Gator Holiday Classic.
• In the 2013 event, she scored a career-high 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting in the championship game win against FIU.
• In the 2015 Classic, Peoples averaged a team-best 14.0 points, while hitting 45 percent (9-20) of her shots from the floor, with five assists and seven steals.

 
The Series vs. UCF

• The Gators have never lost to UCF in 24 previous meetings.
• The last time the teams met was back on November 13, 2010, when the Gators won 77-67 in the first round of the Preseason WNIT played in Gainesville.
• This is the first time the two in-state teams will meet on a neutral court.

 
Gator Watch

• Ronni Williams, a preseason Second Team All-SEC performer, is UF's leading rebounder (6.6) and it's third-leading scorer with 10.5 points per game.
• She has recorded four double-doubles this season (9 in career), including three straight
• First Gator to record three consecutive double-doubles since Jennifer George posted four in a row from Dec. 4-20, 2012.
• Williams' fellow post-mate Haley Lorenzen earned MVP honors at the Omni Hotels Classic, Nov. 27-28 in Colorado, where she compiled 26 points (12-17), 16 rebounds, 4 steals

 
Who's Hot!

• Cassie Peoples, who averaged 14.0 points over the last two games, has taken over the team's scoring lead and is averaging 11.0 points per game.
• Peoples has a team-leading seven double-figure scoring games this year.

 
Who Else is Hot!

• Over the last four games, Eleanna Christinaki have averaged a team-best 14.8 points per game.
• During that four-game span, she has it 69 percent from the floor (20-29), 57.1 percent from the three-point arc (4-7) and 83.3 percent (15-18) from the free throw line.

 
Rookie Review

• Eleanna Christinaki is the only true freshman on the Gator squad and has made quite an impact!
• She has been in the starting lineup since the third game of the season.
• Has scored in double-figures in four of the last five games (entering UCF)
• Has 6 double-figure scoring games - the second most on the team
• Is UF's assists leader
• Has been UF's leading game scorer three times
• Has been UF's leading rebounder once
• Has been UF's assists leader in a team-best five games
• Was named the SEC Freshman of the Week (Dec. 8-14)

 
Florida's DEPTH at a Glance!

• On the 13-player roster...
• 10 Gators average at least 12 minutes of playing time per game
• 9 Gators average at least 5.9 points per game
• 11 Gators have made at least one three-pointer (Fleming and Lorenzen have never attempted a three-pointer).
• 8 have started at least one game during their respective Gator careers.

 
 
Game Day at a Glance:
Who: Florida (11-1, 0-0 SEC) VS. UCF (3-7, 0-0 AAC)
What: SEC-AAC Challenge
When: Mon., December 30, 2015 * 7 p.m. ET
Where: Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena * Jacksonville, Florida
 
Game Coverage & More!

• Radio: LIVE on ESPN Gainesville (95.3 FM and 850 AM)                 with Adam Schick & Brittany Davis
• Internet Audio: LIVE thru floridagators.com (FREE)
• Television: SEC Network with Paul Sunderland, Carolyn Peck & Steff Sorensen
• Internet Video: SECNetwork.com and WatchESPN
• Internet Scoring: (FREE) thru floridagators.com

 
Opening Tip

• UF is off to an 11-1 start for the SIXTH time in program history.
• After dropping season-opener, Gators have won 11 straight games
• 11-game winning streak is tied for third longest in program history
• The Gators are 24-0 all-time vs. UCF, but have not played since November 13, 2010 in the Preseason WNIT first round
• UF has taken nine-day break from competition for the holiday season and Wednesday's game will be its first since last Monday, December 21.
• Five of UF's games this year have been decided by 10 points or less (4-1).

 
 
FOLLOW THE GATORS:
floridagators.com
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Coach Amanda Butler on Twitter