GREENVILLE, S.C. – The No. 13 seed University of Florida women's basketball team kicks off postseason play Wednesday, March 6 when it battles No. 12 Ole Miss in the opening round of the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. ET as the Gators and Rebels meet in the SEC Tournament for the second straight year.
The contest will air live nationally on the SEC Network with Courtney Lyle and Tamika Catchings on the call and Steffi Sorensen on sideline duty while Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis will handle the radio broadcast on ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM.
Game Notes (UF) |
Game Notes (Ole Miss)
Florida enters the tournament on a high note as it earned a 78-66 win at Vanderbilt in its regular season finale this past Sunday. After the teams played to an even 31-31 score in the first half, Florida pulled away during a pivotal third quarter run in which Nakkasoglu netted 18 points and outscored the entire Vanderbilt team. Nakkasoglu finished with 23 points, scoring over 20 for the 12th time this season, while teammate
Delicia Washington was terrific, registering her fifth double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Shooting a season-best 49 percent from the floor, the Gators picked apart the Commodore defense with inside scoring in the first half and attacked with potent long-range shooting in the second, to earn their fourth straight win over VU.
Against Vanderbilt, Nakkasoglu eclipsed the 2,000 career point mark with a pair of free throws in the third quarter. Entering Wednesday's matchup with 2,016, the Australian touts the second-highest point total among active SEC players trailing just Mizzou's Sophie Cunningham (2,082) and is one of just 20 active players with at least 2,000 career points. In two seasons at Utah State she scored 1,149 points and with Florida she has 867.
In the opening round of last season's SEC Tournament, the No. 11 Gators fell to No. 14 Ole Miss, 48-43 in what was the first-ever meeting between the programs in the conference tournament.
UF holds a 20-38 record all time in the SEC Tournament, including a 2-3 mark in the opening round. Florida's record in SEC Tournament games played in Greenville sits at 1-2 and its last win in came in 2017 when it defeated Arkansas, 71-61.
Ole Miss finished its 2018-19 regular season with a 9-21 record and also finished 3-13 in league play. The Rebels earned the No. 12 seed by virtue of the tie break they held over the Gators. The veteran tandem of Crystal Allen and Shandricka Sessom paces the Rebels as Allen leads the team in scoring at 18.3 points per game and Sessom, a guard, is the squad's best rebounder at a 5.7 rebounds per game clip. The senior Allen is one of the league's most-talented scorers, ranking third in the SEC in scoring and ranking second in the SEC with 79 made three-pointers. Sessom, who missed the majority of last season due to an ACL tear, averages 9.9 points per game. Ole Miss, which finished the season on a five-game slide, is under the direction of first year head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. McCuin spent the previous five seasons at the helm at Jacksonville, leading the Dolphins to a 94-63 record during that span and three-straight 20 wins seasons. Like the Gators, the Rebels' last victory came against Vanderbilt as they defeated the Commodores at home, 65-60 on Feb. 14.
When Florida and Ole Miss squared off on Jan. 20 in Oxford, the Rebels held the upper hand and claimed a 76-66 win despite 21 points from Nakkasoglu. Nakkasoglu,
Danielle Rainey and
Zada Williams all finished in double digits, but Ole Miss pulled away late in the game. The Gators rallied back from double-digit deficits twice in, and trailed by just two at a point in the fourth quarter.
The winner of the No. 12 vs. No. 13 game will draw No. 5 Missouri in second round action on Thursday, March 7.
No. 12 Florida vs. No. 13 Ole Miss
Time & Date: Wednesday, March 6 | 11 a.m. ET
Live Stream: SEC Network
Radio: ESPN 98.1FM/850 AM WRUF
Live Stats: Stats
Records: No. 13 Florida (7-22, 3-13) vs. No. 12 Ole Miss (9-21, 3-13)
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena | Greenville, SC
Full SEC Tournament Bracket
Florida Game Notes
Ole Miss Game Notes
Notables
- Through 29 games, Florida has drained 225 three-pointers which is the second-most in program history and trails just the 249 the Gators made during last season's record-breaking season. The Gators have knocked down 200 or more three-pointers in consecutive seasons for just the second time in program history joining the 2008-09 and 2009-10 squads.
- Nakkasoglu has made 80 three-pointers this season, passing her mark of 76 from the season prior. Brandi McCain (2000-01) holds the single season record with 101 but the redshirt-senior is within striking distance of second place all time which is 83 held by Steffi Sorensen (2009-10), who will be the sideline reporter Wednesday for SEC Network.
- In her 55 game career with UF, Nakkasoglu has scored 867 points and her 15.8 points per game average is the sixth-highest in program history. The graduate student's 156 three-pointers made are the seventh most in program history and her .399 mark from three-point range is the best in program history. Nakkasoglu has scored 20 or more points in two of her last three games and led the Gators in scoring 18 games overall.
- In addition to her milestone achievement, Nakkasoglu won't soon forget her game at Vanderbilt as she put together a prolific scoring stretch in the third quarter. After just two points in the first half, Nakkasoglu exploded for 18 points in the third quarter, going 4-of-4 from three-point range and knocking down six of her seven shots overall.
- Delicia Washington's play was critical in UF's win over Vanderbilt as she broke through for her fifth double double of the campaign. While Nakkasoglu owned the third quarter, Washington helped lead an important Gator comeback in the second and iced the game with 10 fourth quarter points. Scoring her most points since November, Washington registered 20 points and 11 rebounds.
- Kiki Smith dished out a career-high eight assists at Vandy, the most of any Gator this season, and did so with just two turnovers.
- UF finished the game shooting 49.2 percent vs. Vanderbilt a season best.
- The Gators have featured 10 different starting lineups this season, but have had the same lineup in three straight games.
- Florida ranks 18th nationally in three-pointers attempted (745) while ranking 43rd in three-pointers made (225).
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