GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida women’s basketball returns home on Thursday, Feb. 2, for their second matchup of the season with Texas A&M on National Girls & Women in Sports night.
The game will air live on SEC Network+ at 6 p.m. ET with Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis on the call, while Tom Collett and Kelly Davis will handle radio responsibilities on 98.1FM/850AM WRUF.
AT THE GAME
Thursday will feature a shadow program in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Eight girls will have the opportunity to shadow full-time gameday staff members that include fan engagement, graphic design, marketing, photography, social media, video and videoboard operations staff. Postgame layups sponsored by Meldon Law will take place after the game, and, for the rest of SEC play, all fans 18 and younger can attend for free.
THE SERIES
The Gators and Aggies meet for the 15th time on Thursday evening, with TAMU holding an 11-3 advantage. Florida won the first meeting this season, downing the Aggies 55-48 in College Station behind 14 points and seven boards from Nina Rickards.
A LOOK BACK
The Gators claimed the first meeting of the season with the Aggies, defeating Texas A&M 55-48 in College Station on Jan. 1, 2023. Nina Rickards’ 14 points and seven rebounds were crucial in the defensive battle, as the Orange & Blue made their money in the paint with a 36-14 edge. Florida kept the Aggies off the offensive glass, holding their opponent to just two offensive rebounds for the game.
PLAYING WITH PACE
Florida likes to get up and down the court on offense, currently holding the 37th-fastest pace in the NCAA with an average of 75.0 possessions per 40 minutes. That pace puts them at third-fastest in the SEC behind Arkansas (75.6) and Kentucky (75.3).
RAINING THREES
KK Deans is closing in on the top-15 for triples made in a single season at UF as she currently has made 48, needing seven more to break into the record book. 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 31.
FROM LONG RANGE
KK Deans is one of the best three-point shooters in the nation this season, having connected on 48 which is the fifth-most in the SEC and 79th-most in the NCAA. Her percentage remains high as well, shooting at a clip of 39.3%, good for third in the conference and 65th in the country. She makes an average of 2.29 per game, fourth in the SEC.
TO THE LINE
Florida women’s basketball is elite when it comes to getting to the free throw line, knocking down 15.38 per game which is fourth in the SEC and 23rd in the nation. They average 21.57 attempts per game, sitting at fourth in the conference and 23rd nationally.
NET UPDATE
After falling to Auburn on Jan. 30, Florida moved to 86th in the NET rankings. All 14 SEC schools sit within the top 130, while South Carolina and LSU sit at first and third, 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 22-0 mark under Finely when holding opponents to 60 points or less.
– #GoGators –
