Thursday, January 1
Knoxville, TN
2 p.m.
Florida Gators
at
Tennessee
Women's Basketball Pivots to Conference Play wIth New Year's Day Trip to Knoxville
Tuesday, December 30, 2025 | Women's Basketball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gregorian calendar gets a reset this Thursday as does the Florida Women's Basketball schedule as the Gators begin SEC play on Jan. 1, 2026 with a 2 p.m. EST tip against No. 23/21 Tennessee (8-3).
The Gators finished the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 12-3 mark. Those 12 wins are the second most in a season in franchise history prior to the ball dropping in Times Square.
Florida closed out 2025 with an 82-66 decision over visiting Furman. Me'Arah O'Neal scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds, as the Gators recorded their 10th double-digit win of the season. The sophomore forward also added four assists, three steals, and four blocks against the Paladins, and was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week for her efforts.
O'Neal (14.4 ppg) is one of three Gators averaging double figures in scoring this season. Liv McGill is the third leading scorer in the nation (24.4 ppg), and Laila Reynolds is pouring in a career-high 13.1 points per game. McGill also ranks 12th in the nation in steals (3.69) and 16th in assists (6.2 apg).
The Gators have been hanging their hat on defense quite a bit this season, ranking fourth in the SEC in three-point field goal percentage allowed (.270), and seventh in the conference in steals per game (11.5). They are also 35th in the nation in scoring differential, outscoring their opposition by an average of 19.6 points per game.
The Lady Vols were ranked No. 8/9 in the nation at the start of the season, but their three losses this year to nationally-ranked competition (80-77 to NC State, 99-77 to UCLA, 89-65 to Louisville) have dropped them to No. 23/21. All three of those defeats were away from the friendly confines of the Food City Center where Tennessee is 5-0 this year.
Tennessee is outscoring opponents by 21.7 points per game which is the 31st highest margin in the country. The lady Vols also make 10.45 three-pointers per game, which leads the SEC, and ranks third in the nation. Defensively, Tennessee ranks 16th in the SEC in field goal percentage allowed (.387), and 15th in three-point field goal percentage allowed (.318).
Senior forward Janiah Baker leads four Lady Vols scoring in double figures this year averaging 14.6 points per game. She is joined by redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper (14.5 ppg), senior guard Nya Robertson (11.0) and senior forward Zee Spearman (10.8). Freshman guard Mia Pauldo (9.9 ppg) nearly gives Tennessee a quintet of double-digit offensive threats. Ten different players have earned starts so far this season for the Lady Vols.
Florida is 5-58 all-time against Tennessee, with the Gators' most recent win coming on February 3, 2022 in an 84-59 home victory. Last year, the Lady Vols eked out an 86-78 win over Florida, erasing a nine-point halftime deficit thanks to a 37-point outburst in the third quarter. Cooper's 18 points led Tennessee, while Samara Spencer recorded an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Shaya Kyle Ra scored 18 for the Gators in the loss while Laila Reynolds added 17 on seven of 12 shooting from the field.
Tennessee (8-3)
PROJECTED FLORIDA STARTERS
GATOR BITES
11th in scoring defense (58.2),
12th in scoring margin (+19.6),
10th in field goal percentage (.460),
11th in field goal percentage defense (.363),
16th in three-point field goal percentage (.251),
4th in three-point field goal percentage defense (.270),
9th in offensive rebound percentage (.387),
14th in defensive rebound percentage (.691),
15th in assists (13.9),
7th in steals (11.5),
10th in blocked shots (4.93),
LADY VOLS QUICK HITS
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The Gators finished the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 12-3 mark. Those 12 wins are the second most in a season in franchise history prior to the ball dropping in Times Square.
Florida closed out 2025 with an 82-66 decision over visiting Furman. Me'Arah O'Neal scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds, as the Gators recorded their 10th double-digit win of the season. The sophomore forward also added four assists, three steals, and four blocks against the Paladins, and was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week for her efforts.
O'Neal (14.4 ppg) is one of three Gators averaging double figures in scoring this season. Liv McGill is the third leading scorer in the nation (24.4 ppg), and Laila Reynolds is pouring in a career-high 13.1 points per game. McGill also ranks 12th in the nation in steals (3.69) and 16th in assists (6.2 apg).
The Gators have been hanging their hat on defense quite a bit this season, ranking fourth in the SEC in three-point field goal percentage allowed (.270), and seventh in the conference in steals per game (11.5). They are also 35th in the nation in scoring differential, outscoring their opposition by an average of 19.6 points per game.
The Lady Vols were ranked No. 8/9 in the nation at the start of the season, but their three losses this year to nationally-ranked competition (80-77 to NC State, 99-77 to UCLA, 89-65 to Louisville) have dropped them to No. 23/21. All three of those defeats were away from the friendly confines of the Food City Center where Tennessee is 5-0 this year.
Tennessee is outscoring opponents by 21.7 points per game which is the 31st highest margin in the country. The lady Vols also make 10.45 three-pointers per game, which leads the SEC, and ranks third in the nation. Defensively, Tennessee ranks 16th in the SEC in field goal percentage allowed (.387), and 15th in three-point field goal percentage allowed (.318).
Senior forward Janiah Baker leads four Lady Vols scoring in double figures this year averaging 14.6 points per game. She is joined by redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper (14.5 ppg), senior guard Nya Robertson (11.0) and senior forward Zee Spearman (10.8). Freshman guard Mia Pauldo (9.9 ppg) nearly gives Tennessee a quintet of double-digit offensive threats. Ten different players have earned starts so far this season for the Lady Vols.
Florida is 5-58 all-time against Tennessee, with the Gators' most recent win coming on February 3, 2022 in an 84-59 home victory. Last year, the Lady Vols eked out an 86-78 win over Florida, erasing a nine-point halftime deficit thanks to a 37-point outburst in the third quarter. Cooper's 18 points led Tennessee, while Samara Spencer recorded an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Shaya Kyle Ra scored 18 for the Gators in the loss while Laila Reynolds added 17 on seven of 12 shooting from the field.
Tennessee (8-3)
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 1
- Time: 2 p.m. EST
- Site: Food City Center, Knoxville, Tenn.
- Listen: wruf.com/listen-live/
- Watch: SECN+
- Live stats: StatBroadcast
- Improve the Gators record to 13-3 on the year, which would be the most wins in a season through 16 games since the 2015-16 squad went 14-2 to begin the year.
- Improve Florida's record to 2-2 on the road on the season.
- Be Florida's first conference-opening win since Jan. 2, 2014 when they topped Mississippi State 82-72.
- Be the Gators' sixth victory all-time against Tennessee.
- Be Florida's first win against a nationally-ranked opponent since Mar. 6, 2025 (63-61 vs. No. 20 Alabama, SEC Tournament).
- Be the Gators first road win against a nationally-ranked opponent since Feb. 6, 2022 (54-51 at No. 14 Georgia).
- Be Florida's third-ever win on New Year's Day (Jan. 1, 1990, 78-73 vs. Maine; Jan. 1, 2023, 55-48, at Texas A&M).
| Florida | Tennessee | |
| 77.8 | PPG | 81.4 |
| 58.2 | OPP PPG | 59.6 |
| +19.6 | SCORING MARGIN | +21.8 |
| 46.0 | FG % | 41.5 |
| 36.3 | OPP FG% | 38.7 |
| 25.1 | 3 FG% | 30.3 |
| 27.0 | OPP 3 FG% | 31.8 |
| 4.5 | 3FG/G | 10.5 |
| 69.4 | FT % | 64.7 |
| 41.9 | REBOUNDS/G | 44.5 |
| 35.1 | OPP REBOUNDS/G | 38.0 |
| +6.8 | REB MARGIN | +6.5 |
| 13.9 | ASSISTS/G | 15.6 |
| 16.5 | TURNOVER/G | 15.6 |
| +0.84 | A/TO RATIO | +1.00 |
| 11.5 | STEALS/G | 13.5 |
| 4.93 | BLOCKS/G | 4.54 |
PROJECTED FLORIDA STARTERS
| No. | Ht. | Pos. | Class | Hometown/Previous School | |
| Me'Arah O'Neal | 8 | 6-4 | F | So | Houston Texas |
| Alexia Dizeko | 9 | 5-11 | G | Gr. | Sion, Switzerland |
| Laila Reynolds | 13 | 6-1 | G | Jr. | PG County, Md. |
| Caterina Piatti | 14 | 6-4 | F | Fr. | Scandiano, Italy |
| Liv McGill | 23 | 5-9 | G | So | Minneapolis, Minn. |
GATOR BITES
- Through games of Monday, Dec. 29, Florida is …
11th in scoring defense (58.2),
12th in scoring margin (+19.6),
10th in field goal percentage (.460),
11th in field goal percentage defense (.363),
16th in three-point field goal percentage (.251),
4th in three-point field goal percentage defense (.270),
9th in offensive rebound percentage (.387),
14th in defensive rebound percentage (.691),
15th in assists (13.9),
7th in steals (11.5),
10th in blocked shots (4.93),
- The Gators have held 14 of 15 opponents this season below 70 points.
- Florida is ranked 17th in the nation in free throw attempts per game (22.9)
- Florida's NET rating, which helps determine which teams make the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship, is No. 64 through games of Monday, Dec. 29.
- Liv McGill became the first player in Gators women's basketball history to be named a US Basketball Writers Association National Player of the Week on Tuesday, Nov. 11. She averaged 27.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 5.00 steals while connecting on 40.9 percent of her three-point field goal attempts in Florida's three wins. She also was named the SEC Player of the Week for her performance during that same stretch of games.
- Liv McGill was named the most outstanding player of the Grand Cayman Classic over Thanksgiving weekend when she averaged 27.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.00 steals and 1.00 blocked shots.
- Liv McGill has three games this season of at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals. The other 4,500-+ players competing in women's basketball at the Division I level have five 25-5-5-5 games … combined.
| No. | Ht. | Pos. | Class | Hometown / Previous Schools | |
| Nya Robertson | 1 | 5-7 | G | Sr. | Fort Worth, Texas / George Washington, SMU |
| Kaniya Boyd | 4 | 5-9 | G | R-So. | Las Vegas, Nev. / |
| Zee Spearman | 11 | 6-4 | F | Sr. | Dacula, Ga. / Miami |
| Jaida Civil | 15 | 6-0 | G | Fr. | Vero Beach, Fla. / |
| Alyssa Latham | 33 | 6-2 | F | Jr. | Glenwood, Ill. / Syracuse |
LADY VOLS QUICK HITS
- The Lady Vols were ranked eight were ranked No. 8/9 in the nation at the start of the season, and are No. 23/21 now.
- Tennessee is 5-0 at home this season.
- Talaysia Cooper was name to the preseason All-SEC Second Team
- The lady Vols also make 10.45 three-pointers per game, which leads the SEC, and ranks third in the nation.
- Defensively, Tennessee ranks 16th in the SEC in field goal percentage allowed (.387), and 15th in three-point field goal percentage allowed (.318).
- The Lady Vols have four players averaging double figures in scoring, and a fifth who is averaging 9.9 points per game.
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