Florida opens the 2024-25 season with a 28-point victory over Florida Atlantic. The Gators had four players in double figures for scoring and were led by senior Jeriah Warren<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jeriah-warren/16862> with 21-points.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida basketball opened up the season with a win over Florida Atlantic Monday night in Exactech Arena. The Gators defeated the Owls 82-54 with four players reaching double digits in scoring.
Jeriah Warren<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jeriah-warren/16862> led on offense, securing 21 of the Gators points, followed by Ra Shaya Kyle<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ra-shaya-kyle/16858> with 17, and freshman Liv McGill<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/liv-mcgill/16880> with 14. Defensively Florida was led by Alexia Gassett<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/alexia-gassett/16882> with seven rebounds to mark her career high. Gassett also hit three blocks and snagged three steals for the Gators.
IN THE FIRST:
* Senior Ra Shaya Kyle<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ra-shaya-kyle/16858> secured the first six points of the contest
* Florida hit three consecutive three pointers in a two-minute span (6:10, 5:40, 4:47)
* The Gators shot 58.8-percent from the field (10-17)
* UF went 4-of-8 from the three-point line to yield a 50-percent
* Florida out-rebounded the Owls 11 to nine
* Florida distributed nine assists in the first 10 minutes of play
IN THE SECOND:
* The Gators had a slower offensive start, only putting up seven points in the initial five minutes of play
* Freshman Liv McGill<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/liv-mcgill/16880> hit double digits in scoring with a combined 12 to end the first half
* Florida secured 22 points in the paint in the first half
* Florida held a field goal percentage of 56.3 going into the second half
IN THE THIRD:
* Jeriah Warren<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jeriah-warren/16862> led the Gators in scoring with 10 points
* Warren shot 100 percent from the field (3-3) and the three-point line (1-1)
* Florida Atlantic ended the quarter shooting 0-of-5 from the three
* The Gators held the Owls to zero second chance points
* Florida saw its lowest field goal percentage of the game at 26.7
IN THE FOURTH:
* The Gators went 6-of-6 from the charity stripe
* Florida held the Owls to only 10 points, marking Florida Atlantic’s lowest scoring period
* Eriny Kindred<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/eriny-kindred/16857> secured all six of her points in the fourth
* Kindred led UF on the boards with four rebounds
* The Gators snagged three steals in the fourth for a game total of eight
WORTH NOTING:
* Jeriah Warren<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jeriah-warren/16862> secured her career high in scoring with 21 points
* Senior Kenza Salgues<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kenza-salgues/16861> made her first start as a Florida Gator
* Salgues set her career high in rebounds with four
* Alexia Gassett<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/alexia-gassett/16882> hit her career high in blocks with three
* Gassett tied her career high in rebounds with seven
* Alexia Dizeko<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/alexia-dizeko/16856> tied her career high in scoring with six points
* Florida had four players in double digits for scoring
* Florida’s highest scoring period of the game was the first quarter with 26 points
* The Gators 82 points came from seven different players
* Florida’s largest lead of the game was +29 in the fourth quarter (1:45)
* Kyle secured her 30th career game as a Gator in double figures for scoring
* Warren garnered her first 20+ point performance in college basketball
* The Gators had 20+ points in three of the four quarters
* Florida totaled eight steals in game one of the 2024-25 season
DID YOU KNOW:
Liv McGill<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/liv-mcgill/16880> opened her Gator career with 14 points. McGill had four field goals, including one three pointer, and was perfect from the free throw line (5-5).
The last freshman to open a season with double digit points was Nina Rickards with 10 points in a 72-65 win at Grambling State University on Nov. 5, 2019.
GATOR BITES:
UF coach Kelly Rae Finley<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/kelly-rae-finley/1658> on Florida’s performance tonight:
“Overall, I really liked our effort start to finish. Our third quarter wasn’t our best quarter but we snapped back from it really well. We got a lot of people a lot of minutes, and as our experience grows, and as we keep getting people back, we’re only going to keep improving. So I was pleased with the night.”
Senior Ra Shaya Kyle<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ra-shaya-kyle/16858> on being back out on the court after getting injured in January of 2024:
“It felt really good. This was something I’ve been waiting on for a really, really, long time, so I was really excited. With the help of my teammates and coaches it just gives me the utmost confidence.”
Senior Jeriah Warren<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jeriah-warren/16862> on rounding out her game heading into her fourth season as a Gator:
“I’m just being more aggressive with my offense; my teammates do a great job of finding me on the three-point line and I’ve just been looking at my shot more.”
TEAM RECORDS:
Florida: 1-0 (0-0 SEC)
Florida Atlantic: 0-1 (0-0 AAC)
GATORS IN OPENERS
* Florida is now 32-19 all-time in season openers. In home openers, the Gators are now 40-11
* Since 2000, UF is 20-5 in season openers
* Florida has won each of its last six (since 2019) season openers
SERIES RECORD:
Florida leads Florida Atlantic 8-1 in the all-time series
NEXT UP:
The Gators will continue action at home on Thursday at 5 p.m. against Florida A&M. The Rattlers are coming off a 78-66 loss against Howard in their home opener on Monday evening.
NEXT UP: Florida A&M
* Date: Thursday, Nov. 7
* Time: 5 p.m. ET
* Site: Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center<https://floridagators.com/sports/2020/4/4/exactech-arena-stephen-c-oconnell-center.aspx>
* Stream: SEC Network +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/f0f40da3-9e24-48f8-a8c3-b0e2442177b3>
* Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5511>
* Stats: StatBroadcast<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=552540>
* Tickets<https://am.ticketmaster.com/gators/en/buy/ism/V0IyNDAy>
FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: X<https://twitter.com/GatorsWBK> | Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/GatorsWBK/> | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/gatorswbk/?hl=en>
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
Print Friendly Version<https://floridagators.com/news/2024/11/4/womens-basketball-gators-open-2024-25-season-with-victory-over-owls.aspx?print=true>
