GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida women's basketball team's rigorous start to its SEC season continues Thursday as it battles its third-straight top 15 team when the No. 14 Mississippi State Bulldogs enter Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center for a 6 p.m. tilt.
| Date: |
Thursday, Jan. 7 |
| Time: |
6 p.m. ET |
| Matchup: |
Florida (7-3, 0-2) vs. No. 14 Mississippi State (6-2, 1-1) |
| Location: |
Gainesville, Fla. | Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center |
| TV: |
SEC Network+ with Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis |
| Live Stats: |
Here |
| Radio: |
WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM with Tom Collett & Kelly Davis |
| Notes: |
Florida | Mississippi State |
| Tickets: |
Here |
Last time out on Sunday, Jan. 3, the Gators hung tough with No. 9 Texas A&M and trailed by only five late in the third quarter but the high-powered Aggies pulled away by outscoring Florida 31-17 in the fourth.
Going up against a pair of top 10 foes last week,
Lavender Briggs showed why she's one of the league's most talented scorers averaging 21 points and seven rebounds over the course of the two matchups. On the road at No. 5 South Carolina, Briggs tied her career best with 23 points to go with six boards and three assists. The 6-foot-1 guard followed that up with a team-best 19 and eight boards in Florida's matchup with No. 9 Texas A&M. Briggs has scored 20 or more points in five of UF's 10 games and is averaging a team-best 17.5 points per game. In her career against AP Top 25 teams, Briggs is averaging 14.9 points per game.
Nina Rickards recorded her first double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against the Aggies. Rickards, a guard, has 50 rebounds in her last four games and leads UF with a 7.9 per game average. The offensive glass is where Rickards has really made an impact as she collects 3.0 offensive boards per game to lead the club.
Appearing off the bench for the first time this season, sophomore
Faith Dut responded with 11 points for the Gators versus Texas A&M. The 6-foot-4 forward connected for her first two 3-pointers of her career and played with an edge all game long attempt a career-high 10 field goals.
The No. 14 Bulldogs, one of five SEC teams ranked in the AP Top 25, enter the contest sporting a 6-2 overall record which includes a win at Georgia in its conference opener and a 92-86 overtime loss against Kentucky. Preseason All-SEC First Team pick Rickea Jackson leads the Bulldogs with a 17.4 points per game average while 6-foot-5 forward Jessika Carter (16.4) and sophomore guard Aliyah Matharu (10.9) also post double figure totals. MSU is one of the league's best shooting teams with a .483 field goal percentage and a .385 mark from distance. The Bulldogs average 7.1 three-pointers per contest.
The Bulldogs are led by first year head coach Nikki McCray-Penson, who after a stellar career as a player at Tennessee helped engineer an impressive turnaround at Old Dominion before accepting the post in Starkville. The Bulldogs took on Kentucky in their first matchup against an AP Top 25 team on Sunday, a contest that was originally scheduled for Jan. 24 but was moved up following their game vs. Vanderbilt being postponed.
Thursday marks the 51st meeting between the two teams. UF has dropped the last seven meetings after winning the previous nine and has not defeated the Bulldogs since March 6, 2014 when it posted a 71-67 victory over MSU in the second round of the SEC Tournament in Duluth, Ga.
Notables
- The Gators are in search of their first win over a top 15 team at home since Feb. 4, 2016 when they took out No. 12 Texas A&M 83-81 at the O'Dome. Florida's last win vs. a top 15 team overall was a special one as it roared back to win at No. 13 Kentucky, 70-62 on Feb. 2, 2020.
- Kiki Smith has enjoyed a smashing start to her season campaign, averaging 15.7 points and leading the team in assists (3.5) and steals per game (2.3). She's also shooting an impressive .496 from the floor as a guard. Smith, who increased her scoring production by nearly 70% from her sophomore to junior season, is on track for another big leap forward as a senior. Her play has elevated her into the conversation as one of the best guards in the SEC.
- Thursday's matchup features two of the top sophomores in the SEC with Lavender Briggs (17.5 points per game) and Rickea Jackson of Mississippi State (17.4 points per game). The student-athletes rank No. 8 and No. 9, respectively, in scoring among league players.
- Florida will play its second-straight home game Thursday before heading out for matchups at Georgia on Sunday, Jan. 10 and at No. 13 Arkansas Thursday, Jan. 14.
- Florida tied a season low with just eight turnovers Sunday vs. Texas A&M.
- UF takes on its third-straight team ranked in the top 15 Thursday.
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