GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Me'Arah O'Neal opened the game with a three-pointer just 16 seconds after tip-off, setting the tone for Florida (3-0) in a dominant 100-55 victory over Jacksonville (2-1). O'Neal closed the night with a career-high 20 points and 11 rebounds, marking her third straight double-double to begin the season.
Game Highlights
First Quarter (Florida 28, Jacksonville 6)
Florida jumped out quickly, scoring the first five points and 21 of the opening 24 to seize control. Jacksonville managed just one field goal in 12 attempts, missing all five shots from beyond the arc. It was the third time this season the Gators held an opponent under 10 points in a quarter. Liv McGill paced the scoring with eight points, while Laila Reynolds and Caterina Piatti added six each.
Second Quarter (Florida 55, Jacksonville 20)
The Gators closed the half on a 10-0 run, building a 35-point cushion at the break. Nine different Florida players contributed to the scoring in the period.
Third Quarter (Florida 80, Jacksonville 39)
Florida extended its lead with an 11-0 surge midway through the quarter, stretching the margin to 46 points. Me'Arah O'Neal led all scorers in the frame with 12 points.
Fourth Quarter (Florida 100, Jacksonville 55)
The Gators’ advantage never dipped below 41 points. Jacksonville had its most efficient shooting stretch of the game, hitting 6 of 13 attempts, highlighted by Bailey Burns’ seven points.
Key Numbers
- Florida shot 51.5% (35-68) compared to Jacksonville’s 35.6% (21-59).
- The Gators won the rebounding battle 46-35, including a 14-11 edge on the offensive glass, converting into a 16-9 lead in second-chance points.
- Jacksonville committed 25 turnovers, which Florida turned into 32 points. The Dolphins managed 11 points off 13 Gator turnovers.
- Florida dominated inside, outscoring Jacksonville 60-22 in the paint and 22-5 in transition.
- All 11 Florida players who saw action scored.
- Free throws: Florida 26-of-35, Jacksonville 10-of-17.
- Fouls: Jacksonville 29, Florida 18.
Post Game Press Conference: Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley, Guard Laila Reynolds, Forward Me'Arah O'Neal
Voices from the Gators
- Laila Reynolds on her third-year progress: — "It's year three, so I would say a lot of things are slowing down for me. Just picking them apart slowly, it doesn't have to be perfect, but taking what the defense gives me. I'm a play maker for sure, so I could score or I could pass it. I like to pass it, it makes my teammates look better for sure."
- Me'Arah O'Neal on her approach during the game: — "I think the most important thing for me was playing with my teammates and being connected. We emphasized getting to the paint and I was just trying my hardest to duck in and be open for my players to give me a ball or to pass to an open player."
- Coach Kelly Rae Finley reflecting on the team’s performance: — "I thought we started the game beautifully, you saw from the jump what we're capable of. Both offensively and defensively, I thought we set the tone. We were aggressive on both ends of the floor. We were fairly consistent over the course of the entire game. I liked our effort, we had 13 turnovers, 14 assists, we've really reduced our turnovers and we've done a great job in that area. I thought we had some good individual performances, but most importantly it was a great team win."
Gator Highlights
- Florida improved to 18-2 at home in November under Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley.
- The Gators are now 3-0 all-time against Jacksonville.
- Liv McGill reached double figures for the 36th time in her career, scoring 19 points.
- Me'Arah O'Neal posted her fourth career double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds), her third in a row to start the season. The last Florida player to record three straight double-doubles was Ra Shaya Kyle in December 2024. Kyle also logged the last 20-point, 10-rebound performance with 21 and 12 against Texas Tech in March 2025.
- Freshman Caterina Piatti pulled down a career-best nine rebounds.
- Florida’s 55 first-half points marked their highest scoring half of the season.
- Laila Reynolds went 10-for-10 from the free throw line, the first perfect 10 attempts since Aliyah Matharu achieved the same feat against Ole Miss in March 2024.
- KN'siha Godfrey recorded her first double-digit scoring game as a Gator.
- Gift Ezekiel set a career-high with nine points and remains perfect from the field (5-for-5 across three games).
Looking Ahead
Florida continues its homestand this week, hosting Samford (1-1) on Thursday, Nov. 13. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST at Exactech Arena inside the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
