GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The University of Florida women's basketball team hosts the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats Wednesday, Dec. 5 at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center as it continues its season-long four-game home swing. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. ET.
The contest will be streamed live on SEC Network+ with Bernie Guenther & Brittany Davis on the call while Kyle Crooks and Kelly Davis will handle the radio broadcast on ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM.
Game Notes Florida
Holiday SZN continues on Wednesday as fans can receive free admission to the game by donating a toy to Toys for Tots and there will also be a free gift wrapping station available on the concourse. Weeknight games all season long are BOGO for fans as tickets are buy one, get one free.
The Gators will look to build on the momentum established in their win over Texas Tech in the SEC/Big 12 challenge this past Sunday. Florida put together its best all-around game of the season against the Lady Raiders winning 72-67 and setting season highs in three-pointers made (14), rebounds (47) and assists (16). UF's freshmen class stepped up to the challenge, combining for 30 points and a myriad of winning plays throughout the game. Rookie guard
Ariel Johnson accounted for 14 of those points while classmate Emanuel de Oliveira netted 10. Both marks were career highs. For the second time this season, four Florida players finished the game with double-figure points as senior guard
Funda Nakkasoglu poured in a team-high 21 and sophomore
Kiara Smith registered her third-straight game with at least 10 points, adding 11. Florida enjoyed strong individual rebounding performances from
Zada Williams who hauled a career-high 12 off the Gators bench while
Delicia Washington finished with 10. Williams, Washington and
Paige Robinson combined for combined for 31 rebounds in the hard-fought win.
Bethune-Cookman is off to a 4-2 start to open the season as the Wildcats welcome back three returnees from last season's MEAC Regular Season Championship unit that finished 24-7 and earned a spot in the WNIT. Angel Golden, the reigning MEAC Player of the Year, paces BCU with a 20.0 points per game average while Chasimmie Brown and Kiana Williams also average double figures. Bethune-Cookman is under the direction of 11
th-year head coach Vanessa Blair, who has led the Wildcats to three regular season conference championships and earned three-straight MEAC Coach of the Year honors. The Gators are the fifth opponent from the state of the Florida that the Wildcats will face as they have wins over Edward Waters, Florida International and Jacksonville and a loss to South Florida already this season.
Wednesday marks the seventh meeting between the programs and Florida holds a 6-0 advantage in the series, including a 4-0 record in contests played in Gainesville. The squads last met on the hardwood during the 2013-14 season when the Gators cruised to a 93-65 win. Florida's record against Mideastern-Athletic Conference teams stands at 24-8. Following Wednesday's action, Florida returns to the O'Dome Sunday, Dec. 9 to host Florida A&M before embarking on a stretch that includes three-straight road games and 21 days between home games.
Florida finishes its homestand Sunday afternoon when it welcomes Florida A&M to Gainesville for a 2 p.m. matchup at the O'Connell Center.
Game Information
Time & Date: Wednesday, Dec. 5 | 7 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network+
Live Stats: Link
Radio: ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM
Records: Florida 1-6 | Bethune-Cookman 4-2
Notables
- The Gators are 227-68 against schools from Florida.
- Florida snapped a nine-game losing streak dating back to last season by defeating Texas Tech on Sunday.
- UF has knocked down at least eight three-pointers in five of its last six games after making just four in the season opener. The Gators exploded for 13 made three-pointers (tied for third-most in program history) vs. Texas Tech and entering the week, they lead the SEC with an 8.9 three-pointers per game average.
- Funda Nakksasoglu has finished with 20 or more points in six of the Gators' first seven games to open the season, becoming the first UF player since Monique Cardenas in 2002-03 to do so.
- Nakkasoglu's 20.1 points per game average through UF's first seven games of the season is the highest since Vanessa Hayden, who played five seasons in the WNBA, averaged 20.1 points per game through the first seven games of the 2003-04 campaign.
- Nakkasoglu leads the SEC in scoring (20.1), three-point field goals per game average (3.6), 20 point games (6), minutes per game (36.6) and ranks second in three-point field goal percentage (.521).
- Kiara Smith has finished with 10 or more points in three-straight games, knocking down at least one three-pointer in all three contests.
- With 10 rebounds vs. Texas Tech Delicia Washington now has 12 double-figure rebound games in her career.
- Florida's 47 rebounds vs. Texas Tech were its most since Feb. 2, 2018 when it hauled in 48 vs. Vanderbilt. Of the 47, 19 of them were on the offensive glass, a season high for the Gators. Washington's 8.1 rebound per game average is the eighth-best in the SEC and highest among guards.
- Bethune-Cookman's Angel Golden and Florida's Funda Nakkasoglu both enter the game averaging at least 20 points per game and as of Dec. 4 both are ranked within the top 40 nationally in points per game average.
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