Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Fresh off its second AP Top 25 victory of the season, the University of Florida women's basketball team (15-12, 6-8) will have another shot at knocking off a nationally-ranked squad and this time it will be the nation's No. 1 as top-ranked South Carolina (27-1, 14-0) comes to town Thursday evening. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. from Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center as the Gators host their final regular season home game.
 

GAME INFO

Date:	Thursday, Feb. 27
Time:	6 p.m. ET
Matchup:	Florida (15-12, 6-8) vs. No. 1 South Carolina (27-1,14-0)
Location:	Gainesville, Fla. | Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell
TV:	SEC Network+ with Kyle Crooks & Brittany Davis
Live Stats:	Here
Radio:	WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM  with Tom Collett & Kelly Davis
Game Notes:	Florida
Promotions:	Free entry with valid ticket from men's basketball's game vs. LSU (2/26/20) New grill items: Orange and Blue Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich and Parmesan/Garlic Fries Home finale
Tickets:	Here

Florida last took the court Sunday, Feb. 23 against No. 22 Arkansas. UF started fast with a 10-0 run to open the game and closed strong as junior guard Kiki Smith scored its final eight points. Posting an 83-80 victory, Florida won for its third time in four games as the junior college transfer Smith poured in a career-best 26 points. For the ninth time this season, the Gators featured four double-figure scorers paced by Smith's incredible performance. Smith connected on 10-of-18 from the floor (all two-pointers), was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line and recorded a career-best five steals. Joining her in double figures were Lavender Briggs, who scored 20 or more points for the third time in four games, Zada Williams, who collected her team-best seventh double-double of the campaign and reserve Emanuely de Oliveira, who tied a career-high with 11 points.
 
The Gators, who at 15-12 are ensured of a .500 finish or better finish for the first time since the 2015-16 season, exerted their will near the basket against the Razorbacks as they tallied 52 points in the paint which was their second-highest total of the season.
 
After finishing the season 8-23 last year, Florida's +7 win improvement is the fifth-best year-to-year improvement in program history.
 
Helping lead the turnaround has been Florida's talented newcomers along with its returners. The freshman Briggs, the team's leading scorer at 14.8 points per game and the second-highest rookie scorer in the conference, has been a consistent cog in the Gators' offense all season as she has finished in double figures in 23 of the team's 26 contests.
 
Smith and Williams, who combined to start 43 games last season, have really ramped up their play as veterans. Smith has increased her scoring by over 77 percent while Williams consistency has been remarkable. Williams' blistering .615 shooting percentage ranks among the best in program history as just six players have ever shot north of 60 percent for a season. Williams is averaging 11.2 points and 9.8 rebounds on .636 shooting over last six games, notching four double-doubles during that span.
 
Along with the individual improvements and additions, as a team Florida has seen quite a boost in its defense and rebounding. Through 27 games this season, the Gators are allowing six points fewer and grabbing nearly five more rebounds per game than at this point in 2018-19.
 
Reaching 15 wins for the first time in four years, the Gators have managed to stockpile victories in a season in which they have battled nine AP Top 25 squads, their most in a single campaign since 2001-02. UF will battle its 10^th Thursday with top-ranked South Carolina. 
 
Sunday marks UF's first game against an AP No. 1 team since Jan. 19, 2015 when it played No. 1 South Carolina on the road. The matchup marks the first time UF has hosted the No. 1 team since it took on No. 1 Tennessee in Gainesville on Jan. 10, 1998.
 
The Gators are 0-9 all-time against AP No. 1 teams.
 
No. 1 South Carolina, which locked up an SEC title and a No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament with its victory Sunday at No. 14 Kentucky, enters the matchup riding a 21-game winning streak. The Gamecocks, who collected their fifth SEC Championship in the last seven seasons, have spent seven-straight weeks at the top spot of the AP poll. Scoring 81.9 points per game and allowing a mere 55.4, USC features a top 10 offense and top 20 defense nationally. Outscoring its opponents by 26.5 points per game, USC has the third-best scoring margin in the nation and leads Division I in blocked shots.

A quartet of Gamecocks average double-figure points, two of which are freshmen. Six-foot-five freshman forward Aliyah Boston leads the team in scoring (12.9), rebounding (9.1) and blocked shots (2.8). In addition to the contributions of rookies Boston and Zia Cooke, a pair of seniors pace the team in Tyasha Harris and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan. Harris dishes out an SEC-best 5.5 assists per game to go with 12 points while Herbert Harrigan chips in with 12.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and shoots 81 percent from the free throw line.
 
USC's lone loss this season came against No. 17 Indiana in the Paradise Jam back on Nov. 28. The Hoosiers played Florida in Gainesville just six days prior.
 
South Carolina is under the direction of 12th-year head coach Dawn Staley who has led the program to five SEC regular-season titles and a National Championship in 2017. Staley recorded her 300th win at South Carolina against Kentucky last time out.
 
Florida holds a 20-19 advantage in the series that dates back to 1979. The Gamecocks have claimed the last 10 meetings between the programs after Florida recorded victories in the previous nine.
 
With just two games remaining, only the league's first and 14^th seeds have been clinched. Florida could finish anywhere from No. 8 to No. 11 in the standings.

The Gators conclude their regular season in Athens, Ga. as they battle Georgia on Sunday, March 1. 

NOTABLES

• Thursday marks UF's final regular season home game.
• UF leads the SEC in games played by underclassmen (174) and is second in games started (80). True freshmen and sophomores account for 63 percent of its offense.
• With 385 points, Briggs ranks eighth in program history in terms of freshmen scoring.
• For the third time this season, UF will play consecutive games against AP Top 25 teams (No. 18 Indiana, No. 12 FSU & No. 14 Kentucky, No. 24 Tennessee).
• The Gators are 5-0 when their bench scores at least 20 points. Against Arkansas it tallied exactly 20.
• Briggs leads the SEC in minutes played. A rookie hasn't led the conference in minutes played in over 20 years.
• After donning their pink jerseys as part of the Play4Kay cancer awareness initiative this past Sunday, Florida will wear them again Thursday vs. South Carolina. A season ago, Florida wore its pink jerseys just once in a matchup with the Gamecocks on Feb. 17, 2019.
• With two AP Top 25 victories, Florida has its most since the 2015-16 season and currently has more victories against top 25 opponents than Tennessee and Arkansas.
• Success rebounding the ball has been critical for the Gators, they are 15-2 when winning the battle of the boards.
• UF has held 18 of its 27 opponents below their season scoring average.
• With a .500 record imminent, Florida is postseason eligible for the first time in four years.

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