Jordyn Merritt led the Gators with a career-high 18 points.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida women’s basketball gave No. 13 Georgia all they could handle in a back-and-forth affair on Sunday afternoon in Exactech Arena, but the Bulldogs managed to pull away late for a 73-69 win in the Gators’ Southeastern Conference opener.
Jordyn Merritt led the Gators’ (10-4, 0-1 SEC) offensive effort with 18 points while also pulling down five rebounds, two steals and a block. Veteran Kiara Smith also filled up the stat sheet, ending with 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. Also crossing the double-digit threshold, Nina Rickards recorded 15 points with three rebounds and a block.
For the game, Florida shot 24-of-53 (45.3%) from the field and 7-of-18 (38.9%) from three-point range while Georgia (12-2, 1-1 SEC) knocked down 27-of-62 attempts (43.5%) from the floor and was just 1-of-6 (16.7%) from deep. The Bulldogs were led by Que Morrison with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists.
The game ended nearly even on the glass with the Bulldogs holding a slight edge at the horn, 35-33, helping them to a 12-6 advantage in second chance points. Florida, however, assisted on half of their makes for 12 in the game, finishing with 12 to Georgia’s 10.
Defense proved to prove a major difference in the Bulldogs’ victory, as Georgia forced the Gators into 26 turnovers, resulting in 29 points. The visitors also held a 22-9 edge in fast break points. The Orange & Blue’s defense was no pushover however, forcing the thirteenth-ranked Bulldogs into 17 turnovers with 10 steals.
The Gators wasted no time in putting pressure on the visiting Bulldogs, using an 8-0 run early in the first quarter to take a 15-5 lead with 5:14 on the clock. After Georgia managed to close the gap to five, two late triples by Merritt would help the Gators hold a 25-14 lead after one. Merritt tallied 10 first quarter points.
Florida’s was offensively dominant in the first quarter, ending 9-of-11 (81.8%) from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from long range. The defense also forced Georgia into six turnovers while holding the opposition to 5-of-15 from the field.
After a second-quarter opening bucket from Georgia, a 7-0 spurt, capped off by a layup from Smith, extended the Gator lead to 32-16 at the 7:55 mark. The Bulldogs, however, would not go away quietly. Ranked 13th in the nation for a reason, Georgia ended the half of a 17-2 run to close the Gator lead to just one heading into the break.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair as both squads exchanged punches. Georgia claimed the lead at 37-36, but a Lavender Briggs layup and Merritt triple gave the Gators a four-point cushion with 6:52 left in the period. Georgia would continue to fight back, retaking the lead at 47-46 with 54 seconds remaining. They wouldn’t remain in front for long, however, as Smith managed to cut through the defense and draw a foul with two seconds left to take a 50-49 lead into the final frame.
Florida couldn’t have asked for a better start to the final frame, extending their lead to seven points with 6:55 remaining in the game following a pair of Merritt free throws. Georgia’s defense would tighten in the fourth, boosting their offense to a 10-0 run and 63-60 lead with 3:32 remaining.
Briggs would hit her biggest shot of the night with 3:19 on the clock to tie the game at 63 once again, but Georgia would have an answer. The Orange & Blue, and more specifically Rickards, would tie the game twice more before a Malury Bates layup gave the Bulldogs a four-point lead with 21 seconds left. Smith managed to cut the lead down to two at 71-69 with 10 seconds remaining, but it wouldn’t prove to be enough as Georgia held on for the 73-69 win.
The Gators will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 6 when Ole Miss comes to Exactech Arena for an evening SEC matchup. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.
Postgame Bites
– Georgia extended their series winning-streak to nine with the victory.
– Jordyn Merritt matched a career-high with 18 points.
– Florida shot over 81.8% in the first quarter, marking the second quarter this season they’ve shot over 80%.
– It is the first time they’ve shot over 80% in multiple quarters in a season since transitioning to quarters in the 2015-16 season.
– Smith now owns 1,242 career points, just 15 behind Jennifer George (2009-13) for 19th all-time.
– Smith moved into the top-10 in school history with 187 career steals (10th).
– With five assists, Smith is just three away from 11th in school history with 357.
– Briggs now boasts 961 career points, just 39 away from becoming the 27th-member of the 1,000-point club at Florida.
– #GoGators –
