January Miller scored a team-high 15 points in UF's last game.
Gators Open SEC Hosting #8 Mississippi State Sunday 1 pm
Saturday, January 2, 2016 | Women's Basketball
The SEC’s top two scoring offenses will square off Sunday
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida sports a 12-1 overall record but for all intents and purposes is 0-0, as the second-half of the Gator's season begins Sunday, January 3 when the team plays host to No. 8 Mississippi State (13-1) in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
Tip-off from the O'Connell Center is set for 1 p.m. ET .The game will be televised live by SEC Network, with Sam Gore and Candace Parker calling the action.
Get the Stat Crew Ready!
Preseason Picks
UF's SEC Openers
The Series vs. Mississippi State
Didn't we just see you?
A Gator Win on Sunday would ...
UF All-Time vs. Top-10 Teams
Florida vs. Ranked Teams
What's Next?
Looking Back: Florida def. UCF, 93-79 (Wednesday, December 30)
Gator Watch
Who's Hot!
Who Else is Hot!
Rookie Review
Lovely Lorenzen
Florida's DEPTH at a Glance!
Quotes from the Court – UF Head Coach Amanda Butler
"Mississippi State is a great defensive team. They have a lot of size, a lot of quickness, athleticism and also depth. It's going to be a tremendous challenge. We're going to need a lot of toughness, maturity and leadership from our seniors. We're also going to have to play with a lot of composure."
Game Day at a Glance
Game Notes:
Game Coverage & More!
Opening Tip
Additional Hoopla for Sunday's Game
FOLLOW THE GATORS:
Gatorzone.com
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Coach Amanda Butler on Twitter
Tip-off from the O'Connell Center is set for 1 p.m. ET .The game will be televised live by SEC Network, with Sam Gore and Candace Parker calling the action.
Get the Stat Crew Ready!
- The SEC's top two scoring offenses will square off Sunday in the O'Connell Center, with the Gators averaging 87.4 points and the Bulldogs clocking in at 81.7 points per game!
- MSU leads the SEC in scoring margin at +30.4 points per game!
- UF ranks last for defense, allowing 67.3 points per game.
Preseason Picks
- Florida was voted by the league's coaches and media to finish 12th in the 14-team league.
- Mississippi State was selected fourth by the coaches and third by the media.
UF's SEC Openers
- UF is 16-17 all-time in SEC openers
- UF is 10-6 when opening its SEC season at home
- UF has lost three of its last four SEC openers, including last year's 68-65 setback to LSU
- Each of UF's last four SEC openers has been decided by 10 points or less (1-3 record), with each of the last six decided by 11 points or fewer (3-3 record)
The Series vs. Mississippi State
- The Gators hold a slim 25-19 lead in the 44-game series against the Bulldogs, including a 13-6 edge in Gainesville.
- MSU won last year's meeting, 75-62, in Starkville and snapped Florida's nine-game win streak versus the Bulldogs.
Didn't we just see you?
- Florida and Mississippi State represented the league at the SEC-AAC Challenge held on Wednesday, December 30 in Jacksonville.
- The Bulldogs defeated No. 20 South Florida, 68-58, in the first game, before the Gators down UCF, 93-79, to cap the SEC double-victory day.
- The event was to promote the site of the 2016 SEC Tournament, March 2-5.
A Gator Win on Sunday would ...
- Be UF's 13th consecutive victory.
- Be the second-longest winning streak in program history (currently tied for second-longest win streak)
- Improve UF's season-opening record to 13-1 which would be the fourth time in program history the Gators have won 13 of their first 14 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.
- Improve UF's home win streak to nine games, including an 8-0 record this year.
UF All-Time vs. Top-10 Teams
- Record vs. Top-10: 16-107 (1-0 this year)
- Record vs. No. 8: 1-13
Florida vs. Ranked Teams
- UF is 1-0 this year against ranked teams.
- Defeated No. 6/7 Florida State, 82-72
- LAST YEAR: The Gators were 1-5 vs. ranked teams during the 2014-15 season.
What's Next?
- The Gators play their next two conference games on the road.
- Florida first travels to Knoxville and faces No. 13/16 Tennessee on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET,.
- The Gators close out the week in Oxford, Mississippi, on Sunday, January 10 when Florida is Ole Miss' inaugural opponent at the brand new Pavilion at Ole Miss.
Looking Back: Florida def. UCF, 93-79 (Wednesday, December 30)
- Eleanna Christinaki just missed a triple-double and Florida dominated the third quarter en route to a 93-79 victory in the Southeastern Conference-American Athletic Conference Challenge held at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.
- In the Gators' non-conference finale, January Miller scored 15 points and led a balanced offensive attack as five players scored in double figures, with Christinaki adding 14 points, a career-best 10 rebounds and a career-high nine assists. Ronni Williams and Haley Lorenzen recorded 13 points each, while Cassie Peoples ignited a cold-shooting Gator team early in the second quarter and finished with 11 points as Florida won its 12th consecutive game.
- Florida hit just 30 percent of its shots in the first half but converted 53.7 percent in the deciding second. The Gators also sank 9-of-21 from the three-point arc, with Christinaki (1), Carlie Needles (2), Miller (3) and Peoples (3) each hitting from deep.
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 10.7 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.
Who's Hot!
- Cassie Peoples, who has averaged 13.0 points over the last three games, has taken over the team's scoring lead and is averaging 11.0 points per game.
- Peoples has a team-leading eight double-figure scoring games this year.
- She has scored in double-figures in five of the last six games, including in each of the last three.
Who Else is Hot!
- Over the last four games, Eleanna Christinaki has averaged a team-best 13.0 points per game.
- During that four-game span, she has it 54.5 percent from the floor (18-33), 44.4 percent from the three-point arc (4-9) and 92.3 percent (12-13) from the free throw line.
- She has scored in double-figures in five of the last six games, including the last two where she averaged 16.0 points.
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 five of the last six games (entering Mississippi State)
- Has 7 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 twice
- Has been UF's assists leader in a team-best six games
- Was named the SEC Freshman of the Week (Dec. 8-14)
- Just missed a triple-double vs. UCF (Dec. 30) - 14 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists
Lovely Lorenzen
- It's been everything EXCEPT a 'sophomore slump" for Haley Lorenzen
- UF's second-leading scorer and rebounder
- this year has been UF's leading scorer in 3 games (tied for the most on the team)
- has been UF's leading rebounder in a game three times (second-most on the team)
- Scored in a team-leading 41 consecutive games
- Six double-figure scoring games -(tied for third-most on the team)
- Earned MVP honors at the Omni Hotels Classic, Nov. 27-28 in Colorado, where she compiled 26 points (12-17), 16 rebounds, 4 steals
Florida's DEPTH at a Glance!
- On the 13-player roster...
- 10 Gators average at least 13 minutes of playing time per game
- 9 Gators average at least 6.0 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.
- 7 have been UF's leading scorer in a game
- 7 have been UF's leading rebounder in a game this season
Quotes from the Court – UF Head Coach Amanda Butler
"Mississippi State is a great defensive team. They have a lot of size, a lot of quickness, athleticism and also depth. It's going to be a tremendous challenge. We're going to need a lot of toughness, maturity and leadership from our seniors. We're also going to have to play with a lot of composure."
Game Day at a Glance
- Who: Florida (12-1, 0-0 SEC) hosts #8 Mississippi St. (13-1, 0-0 SEC)
- Where: Stephen C. O'Connell Center (11,548) * Gainesville, Florida
- When: Sun., January 3, 2016 * 1 p.m. ET
Game Notes:
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 Sam Gore and Candace Parker
- Internet Video: SECNetwork.com and WatchESPN
- Internet Scoring: (FREE) thru floridagators.com
- Ticket Prices:
- $5 – Reserved General Admission (Sections I1, J1)
- $4 – General Admission
- FREE – UF and SFC Students with valid ID
- FREE – Children 17 and Under (in General Admission areas)
Opening Tip
- UF is off to a 12-1 start for the SIXTH time in program history.
- After dropping their season-opener, the Gators have won 12 straight
- 12-game winning streak is tied for second longest in program history
- UF is 16-17 all-time in SEC openers ... 10-6 when opening at home
- Florida and Mississippi State lead the SEC in scoring offense.
- Nationally, the Gators rank No. 3 in steals, No. 4 in scoring offense, No. 4 in turnovers forced and No. 5 in steals
- 5 of UF's games have been decided by 10 points or less (4-1).
Additional Hoopla for Sunday's Game
- Mini Hoop Giveaway: The first 500 fans receive Florida Basketball mini hoop and ball set!
- Sunday Layup Line: Kids 12 and under will be able to participate in post-game layups on the court for 15 minutes. (Register at Gate 4 during the game)
- Kids Club: Kids Club members and their families receive free admission to the game.
- Kids Korner: Children can enjoy the poster-making station and games (On the track level between Gates 3 and 4)
FOLLOW THE GATORS:
Gatorzone.com
Coach Amanda Butler on Twitter
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard/Forw
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