Florida Gators

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Florida women's basketball team returns to league play Sunday, Feb. 10 when it travels to Georgia to battle the Bulldogs in Athens. Tipoff from Stegeman Coliseum is slated for Noon ET as the Gators and Bulldogs meet for the 73^rd time.

The contest will air live on the ESPNU with Melissa Lee and A'Ja Wilson on the call while Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis will handle the radio broadcast on ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM.

Game Notes UF | Game Notes UGA

UF enters the matchup off the heels of a momentous 57-55 victory over Alabama Thursday night in Gainesville. Despite trailing for nearly 34 minutes and trailing by as many as nine in the second half, Florida fought back to outscore the Crimson Tide 20-14 in the fourth quarter and snap its five-game slide. Delicia Washington's pull-up jumper with 15 seconds left proved to be the game-winning basket as Florida claimed its sixth victory at home this season. Funda Nakkasoglu's play was key in Florida's come-from-behind victory as the redshirt-senior poured in a game-high 20 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter. Danielle Rainey, who scored 10 points in the first half, finished with 12 and Kiki Smith collected a career-high 11 rebounds. UF shot 53.8 percent in the fourth quarter and drilled four 3-pointers in the final 10 minutes to even the season series with the Crimson Tide at 1-1.

With her game-high 20 points against Alabama, Nakkasoglu scored 20 or more points for the 10th time this season and 44th time in her career. The Aussie's play was instrumental in the Gator comeback as she netted three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Georgia enters the contest sporting a 13-9 overall record which includes a 4-5 mark SEC action. The Bulldogs, pegged to finish fourth in the SEC Preseason Media Poll, are 10-2 at home but have dropped their last two at Stegeman Coliseum. UGA has played its last two games away from Athens and fell 59-58 in overtime at Auburn last time out on Sunday, Feb. 3. Preseason First Team All-SEC section Caliya Robinson leads the club in points per game, 13.8, and rebounds per game, 8.0. The senior forward is one of the league's best defenders as she ranks second in the SEC blocking 2.3 shots per contest. Robinson isn't Georgia's only threat to swat a shot as the team as a whole ranks top five nationally in blocks per game. Gabby Connally and Taja Cole also average double figures for the Bulldogs and Cole's 6.5 assists are tops in the SEC. As a team the Bulldogs average 15.2 assists per game which is the second-highest clip in the conference. Head Coach Joni Taylor, in her fourth season with the Bulldogs, has recorded a 76-41 record and guided Georgia to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances during her tenure. Taylor starred at University of Alabama from 1997-2001 and has served on three different SEC staffs (Alabama, LSU and Georgia).

Georgia leads the all-time series 55-17 and owns a 25-11 mark in games in played Athens. UGA has claimed five of the last seven meetings and the 72-game series is the second-most games UF has played against any one opponent.

The squads met twice a season ago as Georgia claimed victories in both contests. Florida dropped a 66-57 decision to the No. 21 Bulldogs in Gainesville in late January before falling at No. 19 Georgia a month later. Funda Nakkasoglu, scoring in double figures in both matchups, averaged 14 points per game in the two meetings.

Florida and Georgia will meet again on Thursday, Feb. 28 as the Gators host their final home contest of the 2018-19 campaign.

Following Sunday's matchup in Athens, Florida will next take the court the following Sunday, Feb. 17 when it hosts South Carolina at 2 p.m. from Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. 

Florida at Georgia
Time & Date: Sunday, Feb. 10 | Noon ET
TV: ESPNU
Live Stats: Link 
Radio: ESPN 98.1FM/850 AM WRUF
Records: Florida (6-17, 2-8) at Georgia (13-9, 4-5)
 
Notables

• Cam Newbauer worked with both the Georgia men's and women's basketball teams early in his career. He began as a graduate manager with the men's team (2003-04) and later served as the program's director of basketball operations (2005-07). Hall of Fame Coach Andy Landers welcomed Newbauer onto his women's staff as an assistant coach from 2007-12. Newbauer married the former Sarah Millender in May of 2011 on the University of Georgia's Herty Field.
• Against Alabama, Florida overcame a 26-23 halftime deficit to earn the victory. It was just the second time the Gators' pulled out a win after they trailed at the intermission.
• Alabama outscored Florida in every quarter but one on Thursday and that was the fourth. The Gators won the fourth quarter 20-14 behind an impressive 53.6 shooting percentage in the final stanza. UF's fourth quarter shooting percentage was its best since it posted a 66.7 percent mark at UNLV in December. Nakkasoglu shot 3-of-3 from three-point range and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe to will the Gators to a win.
• Between her Utah State and Florida careers, Funda Nakkasoglu has scored 1,915 points. Her total is the second highest mark among active players in the SEC (trailing just Sophie Cunningham, 1,964). Her total ranks her 19th among all active NCAA I players. Nakkasoglu's 16.7 points per game average is the highest mark for a Gator through 23 games since Ronnie Williams averaged 19.0 through 23 during the 2016-17 campaign. In her 49 game career with UF she has scored 766 points. Her 15.6 points per game average is the sixth-highest in program history. Her 126 three-pointers made are ninth most in program history and her .398 mark from three-point range is the best in program history.
• UF has featured nine different starting lineups on the season as Coach Newbauer continues to try to find the best way utilize his roster which has seen eight players make their Gator debut in 2018-19.
• In each of Florida's last two victories, junior guard Delicia Washington has hit the game-winning shot. Against Missouri, she scored on a contested layup with 2.2 seconds left to propel the Gators to victory and this past Thursday vs. Alabama, she buried a pull-up jumper to win it with 15 seconds remaining. 
• Since joining the Gators at Ohio State (Dec. 16), Danielle Rainey has provided a spark and been a difference maker in conference action. She has finished with 15 or more points in four of her last seven games and has knocked down at least one three-pointer in 11 of her 14 games played. Rainey is averaging 9.9 points per game in SEC action.
• Florida ranks 15th nationally in three-pointers attempted (595) while ranking 37th in three-pointers made (179).
• Florida has finished with at least 10 three-pointers in four conference tilts. UF knocked down double-digit three-pointers just three times in a total of 13 non-conference tilts. In SEC competition, Florida leads the league averaging 8.1 three-pointers per game.
• The Gators have held their opponent to 65 or fewer points 11 times this season. On 13 occasions, the Gators have limited their opponent to a point total below their season average.

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