Senior Jeriah Warren sealed UF's big-time win over Mississippi State with a three-pointer in the final second of play. The buzzer beater now stands as one of the Gators' best moments thus far into SEC play.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida pulled out a 69-66 win over Mississippi State at the O’Connell Center, marking their fourth SEC victory of the 2025 campaign. The outcome was decided in the closing minutes, with the Gators’ senior leaders sparking the decisive run.
Alexia Dizeko ignited the final push with a three-pointer at the 3:26 mark, trimming the Bulldogs’ advantage to 65-60. Ra Shaya Kyle then scored on consecutive possessions, cutting the deficit to just two points at 66-64. The surge continued when Alexia Gassett drew a foul and calmly sank both free throws, tying the contest at 66-66.
With under 15 seconds remaining and Mississippi State holding the ball, Kyle came up with a pivotal steal in the paint, giving Florida one last chance. Jeriah Warren, the team’s top three-point shooter, delivered the knockout blow—burying a buzzer-beating triple to secure the three-point win for the Gators.
On the offensive end, Florida was paced by freshman standout
Liv McGill, who poured in 20 points—her 11th game this season with at least 20. She had plenty of support, as three other Gators reached double figures:
Laila Reynolds added 14,
Jeriah Warren contributed 12, and
Ra Shaya Kyle chipped in 10 to round out the top scorers.
Defensively, Kyle anchored the effort with 6 rebounds, while also recording 4 assists and a steal to impact multiple areas of the game.
How It Happened
- First Quarter
- Liv McGill opened scoring with a three at 8:22, giving UF its first lead
- Florida shot 7-for-13 (53.8%) from the field
- McGill led with 9 points on 4-for-7 shooting
- 12 of Florida’s 17 points came in the paint
- Gators forced 8 turnovers, committing only 3
- UF led for 7:08 of the quarter and finished ahead 17-14
- Second Quarter
- Mississippi State took its first lead at 9:08 with a three (20-19)
- UF trailed for over 5 minutes
- Florida scored 12 points off 9 MSU turnovers
- Half of UF’s 20 points came inside the paint
- Out-rebounded MSU 11-9 in the period
- McGill hit a three at 1:50 to regain the lead (33-31)
- Gators closed the half up 37-31, their largest lead of the half
- Third Quarter
- Jeriah Warren opened with a three (40-32)
- UF shot 41.7% (5-for-12), their lowest quarter percentage
- 14 points spread across 5 players
- MSU outscored UF 24-14 in the frame
- Bulldogs went 7-for-10 at the line; UF just 2-for-2
- Florida trailed 55-51 entering the fourth
- Fourth Quarter
- UF shot a game-high 60% (6-for-10)
- Laila Reynolds scored 6 of the team’s 18 points
- Ra Shaya Kyle dished out 3 assists
- Game tied 66-66 with 1:20 left
- UF gained possession with 11.7 seconds remaining
- Jeriah Warren hit a buzzer-beating three to win 69-66
Worth Noting
- Season-best 91.7% from the free-throw line (11-for-12)
- Four players in double figures: McGill (20), Reynolds (14), Warren (12), Kyle (10)
- McGill: double figures in 24 of 26 games; 11 games with 20+ points
- Reynolds: double digits in 14 of 21 games this season
- Forced 26 turnovers (second-highest this season; Alabama State had 31 on Dec. 29, 2024)
- Outscored in only one quarter (Q3, 24-14)
- Now 7-0 when holding opponents to 69 points or fewer in 2024-25
- First win this season after trailing with 5 minutes left (previously 0-12)
- Shot 50% overall (26-for-52)
- 34 points in the paint; 10 points from the bench
- Reynolds led with 5 assists; Kyle added 4; McGill and Salgues had 2 each
- Out-rebounded 34-29, but 7 players grabbed at least 2 boards
- Kyle (6), Gassett (4), McGill (3), Warren (3), Dizeko (3), Reynolds (2), O’Neal (2)
- Kyle has led UF in rebounding 19 times this season, 42 in her career
- UF has scored 20+ points in 47 of 106 quarters this season
- Converted 16 of 25 layups (64%)
CAREER HIGHS:
| Laila Reynolds | ||
| Steals | 3 | vs Mississippi St. 02/16/25 |
gATOR bITES
Coach Kelly Kelly Rae Finley on Florida’s Steady Growth
Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley reflected on her team’s progress, noting how consistency has been the foundation of their success. "As a coach, I know we're getting better. It's hard as a coach to say to your team, yeah, we're getting better and I can show them numbers, but when the result isn't what you want, sometimes it's hard to believe that that's actually the truth. We have a team that's been consistent in our approach—win or lose, and I'm probably most proud of them for that. We haven't had high highs and we haven't had low lows, and that's what earned them this victory today."
Coach Kelly Rae Finley on the Energy from the Crowd
She also credited the fans for creating a game-changing atmosphere inside the O’Connell Center. "Coach CJ has been challenging our community to come and support us, to be the sixth man, and to take us over the top, and that's exactly what happened tonight. I'm not sure we get those stops, shoot 60 percent from the floor, shoot 100 percent from the free throw line, rebound, and execute like we did if Gator Nation is not there to support us."
Senior Jeriah Warren on Closing Out the Win
Veteran guard Jeriah Warren emphasized the team’s resilience and focus in the final minutes. "It was a great team win. We were connected throughout the whole game and it feels good to finally get the win. We were down six or seven, that's a two-possession game, and we all knew the game was still there, so we just locked in on defense and had to get a stop. So, it was really just reminding each other what we have to do as a team to get the win."
TEAM RECORDS:
Florida: (13-13, 4-8 SEC)
Mississippi State: (18-9, 5-8 SEC)
SERIES RECORD:
Florida and Mississippi State are now tied in their all-time head-to-head history, with both programs owning
28 wins each.
NEXT UP:
The Gators will be back on the road for their next contest, traveling to College Station to face Texas A&M on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET. The SEC matchup will be streamed live on SECN+.
Before welcoming Florida, the Aggies will first square off against No. 21 Alabama at Coleman Coliseum. On the season, Texas A&M is averaging 63.5 points per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field.
Key Players for Texas A&M
- Aicha Coulibaly leads the Aggies in scoring, putting up 12.8 points per game.
- Sahara Jones anchors the defense on the glass, averaging 7.1 rebounds per game with a season total of 163 boards.
NEXT UP: Oklahoma (20-6, 8-5 SEC) - Date: Thurs., Feb. 20
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Site: Reed Arena
- Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM
- Watch: SECN+
- Live stats: Statbroadcast
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