Florida Gators
17-13,5-10SEC
Ole Miss
21-9,8-7SEC
Gators Knock Off No. 19/20 Ole Miss, 74-67
Thursday, February 26, 2026 | Women's Basketball
KEY RUNS
1st Quarter (Rebels 17, Gators 16)
- Neither team led by more than three points in the first, and both squads had their offenses in gear as the Gators made six of 12 shots from the field, and the Rebels went seven for 14. Tianna Thompson led all scorers with nine points on a trio of triples, while Gift Ezekiel paced the Gators with five.
- Florida led by one, 23-22, with 8:37 to go before the half when the Rebels went on a 7-0 run to push their lead to six. Two possessions later, they made it a seven-point lead, 32-25 for their largest advantage of the first half. A 6-0 Gators' run late in the period tied the score, and a 6-1 run to close the second quarter put Florida up three at the break. McGill scored 15 points in the stanza to lead all scorers. She made six of seven shots in the period as Florida went 10 for 13 from the floor. Ole Miss made six of 12 shots in the second, with Thompson and Latasha Lattimore leading the Rebels with five points apiece.
- Heading into the third quarter, McGill needed two points to become the Gators' single-season scoring leader. Tonya Washington held the record since she scored 631 points in the 1999-2000 season. McGill topped that mark with a layup with 8:13 to go in the third. Florida scored the first four points of the period to go up seven, 44-37. Both defenses picked up the pace in the period as the Gators went four for 11 from the floor, and the Rebels made three of their 13 attempts. They were more effective from the free throw line as Florida made seven of nine from the stripe, and Ole Miss went six for eight.
- Florida was still up five with 8:45 on the clock when they rattled off nine straight to give the Gators their largest lead of the night, 65-51. The Rebels countered with a 9-0 run of their own to slice Florida's advantage to five, but they were never able to get any closer. Florida made seven of 10 free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
- Florida connected on 59.1 percent of their field goal attempts (26 for 44), while Ole Miss made 38.6% of theirs (22 of 57). That field goal percentage was the team's highest of the season.
- Florida went 21 for 28 from the free throw line while the Rebels made 14 of 21.
- The Rebels made nine of 22 from three-point range, while Florida went one for four.
- The Gators outscored the Rebels 46-20 in the paint.
- Ole Miss outrebounded the Gators 12-4 on the offensive glass, which led to a 13-6 edge in second chance points.
- Coach Finley opening statement…
"That's how you send your senior, [Alexia] Dizeko out on your home floor. I have been pretty consistent in what I have said about this team and I will say it again today, I am really proud of them. I am proud of their character, how they carry themselves, how they compete, and how they prepare. That is a good Ole Miss basketball team. [We had] 46 points in the paint to their 20 [points]. I thought we executed our game plan flawlessly. But more than that, we had every player on our team make big time plays today, whether they were on the bench or on the court. The more plays they made, the more energy we got. That's what it takes to win big games in this league."
- The players and Coach Finley on Alexia Dizeko's final home game as a Gator…
Laila Reynolds: "We were just in the hallway stretching and I just told Lex, 'Thank you for being my teammate.' I think Lex is one of the best teammates I have ever had. She is selfless, that is my dog."
Liv McGill: "Lex is a great teammate. She is a teammate you want to have, win, lose, or draw. She is going to have your back. She is going to do the little things nobody wants to do, and I think that is what is great about her. It is not on the stat sheet, but we all know what she does for this team and how she contributes to this program."
Coach Finley: "Lex is selfless, joyful, committed, determined, and extremely loyal. She is a champion in everything she does in her life. When you look to your left and you see her, you know you have strength. As a coach, it is amazing to have players who show up for the program first every single day. Lex has always made me feel like I can make the best decision for our team. And no matter what that decision is, whether she plays one second, no seconds, or 40 minutes. Whether she came off the bench or started for this program, she showed up for us every single day. I believe we are going to have a strong post-season run. I think it is because, when you have seniors that you want to keep playing with as teammates, Lex being one of them, you fight for those people just a little bit harder. And Lex is worth fighting for."
- Coach Finley and Liv McGill on McGill breaking the single season scoring record for the program…
Post Game Press Conference: Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley, Laila Reynolds, Liv McGill, and Alexia DizekoCoach Finley: "Liv is a winner. She is a USA Basketball point guard for a reason. Gator Nation is extremely blessed to have a point guard of her caliber. She is young, she is learning, she is determined, and she has [professional] habits. Her best basketball is still ahead of her. It is impressive. She has a team around her that wants her to excel and wants her to succeed, and that is really special. The better she is, the better we are. I would say that about each and every one of our players. We understand that, the better we are individually, the collective whole is better. There is a responsibility that comes with that. Everybody has a different role, and the roles are equally as important. It was very special for those that were here."
Liv McGill: "It means a lot to me. I do not want to get emotional, but the Florida Gators support me a lot. It just makes it easier when I step on the court. Shout out to my teammates. Shout out to the coaching staff. Whether I score or not, I know my teammates will have my back. It just makes it a whole lot easier to go out there, compete, and be myself."
GATOR BITES
- The Gators are now 25-26 all-time against Ole Miss, and snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Rebels.
- Liv McGill scored in double figures for the 31st straight game (28 points).
- Liv McGill's 28 points in the game give her 1,250 for her career, moving her to within seven points of Jennifer George '13 in 20th place (1,257) on the Gators' career scoring chart.
- Liv McGill's 28 points give her 639 on the season, which broke the Gators' single-season record of 631 set by Tonya Washington in the 1999-2000 campaign.
- Laila Reynolds scored in double figures for the 21st time this season (14 points).
- Florida connected on a season-high 59.1 percent (26 for 44) of its field goal attempts.
- The Gators attempted a season-low four three-pointers.
The Gators final home game of the regular season is against No. 23/24 Georgia on Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m. EST. The game is being broadcast on SECN.
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