Missouri (17-11, 6-9 SEC) vs. Florida (15-13, 4-11 SEC)
Game Information: Feb. 26 | 3 p.m. ET
Live Stream: SEC Network+
Radio: Online
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Game Notes: Media Center
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Sunday will conclude the regular season for Florida women's basketball when they head to Columbia, Mo., for a matchup with the Tigers at 3 p.m. ET.
The game will stream live on SEC Network+ with Noah Reed and Jordan Roundtree on the call. Radio responsibilities will be handled by Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis, while the broadcast will begin online only before shifting to 98.1FM/850AM at the conclusion of Sunday's Florida baseball game.
THE SERIES
The Gators and Tigers meet for the 13th time on Sunday afternoon, with Missouri holding a commanding 10-2 all-time advantage in the series. Last season, the Tigers defeated the Gators on Feb. 27 in Gainesville, 78-73.
LAST TIME OUT
The Orange & Blue snapped a five-game losing skid, taking down Alabama, 81-77, on senior night on Feb. 23. Leading by as many as 18, the Gators had to fight-off a 10-of-12 bombardment of triples from the Crimson Tide in the second half to secure the victory.
KK Deans led the Gators with a 22-point effort on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting night, including 4-of-5 from behind the arc.
A LOOK BACK
Sunday will conclude the regular season for Florida when the Gators head to Columbia, Mo., for a matchup with the Tigers. Last season, Missouri spoiled Florida's senior day with a 78-73 win on Feb. 27.
Jordyn Merritt put up a career-best 23 points, with all of them coming in the second half, to lead UF in addition to seven steals, but a 26-point, 10-rebound performance from Hayley Frank proved a difference maker for Mizzou. The Gators surged late and pulled within three points with under 10 seconds remaining, but Missouri managed to knock down their free throws to secure the win.
WINNING SEASON
With Florida's 81-77 victory over Alabama, the Orange & Blue guaranteed a winning record in the regular season. The win will mark the first time since the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons that the Gators have recorded back-to-back seasons with winning regular season records. Also, with 36 victories over the past two campaigns, Florida holds their largest two-season win total since the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
HOME, SWEET HOME
After taking down Alabama on Feb. 23, the Gators secured their second-consecutive season with 10 wins in Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. That marks the first time since the 2013 and 2014 seasons with back-to-back 10-win home campaigns, when they won 11 and 12, respectively. The Alabama win also marked the 20th time in UF history that the Orange & Blue have won 10 games in Gainesville.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Sunday's regular season and SEC finale can hold big seeding implications for the SEC Tournament next week. If the Gators are victorious over the Tigers and Auburn falls to Vanderbilt, Florida will secure the No. 10 seed and open the tournament on Thursday, March 2. If Auburn wins, the Gators will remain in the 11 slot for the tournament opener. If all three end-up in a tie at 4-12, seeding will come down to the result of Sunday's Ole Miss-Alabama game, with Auburn securing the 10-seed with an Ole Miss win and Florida taking the 10-seed if Alabama wins.
NEXT UP?
Nina Rickards is closing-in on becoming the 27th-member of the Florida 1,000-point club, currently owning 962 career points. The senior has upped her offensive performance during the 2022-23 season, scoring at a career-best clip of 11.9 points per game, which includes a career-high 24 points from a victory at Dayton on Dec. 4, 2022.
RAINING THREES
KK Deans has moved to 13th in Florida history for triples made in a single season at UF, as she currently has made 64 on the year. Rimdal is also looking at one of the best seasons for a sophomore, needing 49 total threes to mark the fifth-best output by a sophomore and she has currently knocked-down 39.
TO THE LINE
Florida women's basketball is elite when it comes to getting to the free throw line, knocking down 15.18 per game which is fourth in the SEC and 22nd in the nation. They average 21.32 attempts per game, sitting at fourth in the conference and 22nd nationally.
NET UPDATE
After defeating Alabama on Feb. 23, Florida remains at 85th in the NET rankings. All 14 SEC schools sit within the top 121, while South Carolina and LSU sit at first and fifth, respectively.
60: THE MAGIC NUMBER
Under the leadership of
Kelly Rae Finley, Florida's defense will always be a point of emphasis. Helping to prove that point, the Gators own a perfect 23-0 mark under Finely when holding opponents to 60 points or less.
- #GoGators -
