GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida women’s basketball team is aiming to become just the seventh squad in program history to open a season with four straight victories when they face Samford on Thursday, Nov. 13. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. EST inside Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
The last Florida team to begin 4-0 was the 2019-20 group. Prior to that, the 2000-01 Gators opened with nine consecutive wins before suffering their first loss, tying the program record originally set in 1983-84 and later matched in 1984-85 and 1995-96. Another notable start came in 1997-98, when Florida began 4-0 before the streak ended.
Sophomore point guard Liv McGill has delivered one of the most remarkable season starts in program history, averaging 27.7 points, 7.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 steals. Her performance earned recognition as the USBWA National Player of the Week and SEC Player of the Week. As of Nov. 10, McGill ranked fourth nationally in scoring, tied for 20th in assists, and tied for 10th in steals. Within the SEC, she leads in scoring, is tied for fourth in assists, second in steals, and tied for second in made three-pointers.
She’s been complemented by sophomore forward Me'Arah O'Neal, who has opened the season with three straight double-doubles, averaging 16.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 1.67 blocks while shooting 60 percent from the field. Junior guard Laila Reynolds has added 13.7 points per game and 3.0 steals, highlighted by her perfect 10-for-10 performance at the free throw line against Jacksonville on Nov. 10, setting new career highs.
Thursday’s contest also carries personal significance for Samford Head Coach Matt Wise, whose mother coached Florida volleyball for 34 seasons. Wise himself previously served as a graduate assistant with the Florida men’s basketball program during its back-to-back Elite Eight runs in the early 2010s.
Samford enters the matchup at 1-1, with a season-opening 75-53 win over Montevallo followed by an 80-46 loss at Nebraska. Sophomore guard Briana Rivera leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 16.0 points per game, while redshirt senior center Emily Snoddy (née Bowman) and freshman forward Carla Baguda pace the team in rebounding with 9.0 and 8.5 boards per game, respectively.
Samford (1-1)
- Date: Thursday, November 13
- Time: 7 p.m. EST
- Site: Exactech Arena
- Listen: FloridaGators.com
- Watch: SECN+
- Live stats: FloridaGators.com
A Florida victory would:
- Improve the Gators to 4-0 this season and 19-2 at home in November under Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley.
- Mark the first 4-0 start since 2000-01, when Florida won nine straight to tie the program record for consecutive wins to open a season (originally set in 1983-84 and later matched in 1984-85 and 1995-96).
- Extend Florida’s all-time record against Samford to 3-0.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| Florida | Samford | |
|---|---|---|
| 96.7 | PPG | 60.5 |
| 56.3 | OPP PPG | 66.5 |
| 40.3 | SCORING MARGIN | -6 |
| 52.5 | FG % | 36.4 |
| 37.7 | OPP FG% | 32.5 |
| 28.6 | 3 FG% | 30.6 |
| 33.3 | OPP 3 FG% | 31.1 |
| 6 | 3FG/G | 9.5 |
| 69.7 | FT % | 80 |
| 43.3 | REBOUNDS/G | 39.5 |
| 29.7 | OPP REBOUNDS/G | 33.5 |
| 13.6 | REB MARGIN | 6 |
| 16.3 | ASSISTS/G | 11 |
| 14.3 | TURNOVER/G | 21.5 |
| 1.14 | A/TO RATIO | 0.51 |
| 15.3 | STEALS/G | 9 |
| 2.67 | BLOCKS/G | 3.5 |
The Series
The Gators are 2-0 against Samford.
Gators vs. Bulldogs History
The Gators have won both of their previous matchups with Samford, most recently earning an 84-48 decision on Nov. 16, 2019. In that contest, Lavender Briggs delivered a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double. Kiara Smith added 18 points, Ariel Johnson scored 15, and Kristina Moore chipped in 11, giving Florida four players in double figures. Every Gator who entered the game contributed in both scoring and rebounding categories, underscoring the team’s balanced performance.
Projected Florida Starters
| Florida | No. | Ht. | Pos. | Class | Hometown/Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Me'Arah O'Neal | 8 | 6-4 | F | So | Houston Texas |
| Alexia Dizeko | 9 | 5-11 | G | Gr. | Sion, Switzerland |
| Laila Reynolds | 13 | 6-1 | G | Jr. | PG County, Md. |
| Caterina Piatti | 14 | 6-4 | F | Fr. | Scandiano, Italy |
| Liv McGill | 23 | 5-9 | G | So | Minneapolis, Minn. |
Gator Bites
- As of Tuesday, Nov. 11, Florida ranks among the SEC leaders: fourth in scoring margin (+40.3), fourth in field goal percentage (.525), sixth in rebound margin (+13.7), tied for third in steals (15.3), third in turnover margin (+15.3), and fifth in defensive rebound percentage (.755).
- Liv McGill narrowly missed her second career triple-double with 26-point, 9-rebound, 9-assist effort against North Florida on Nov. 3. She followed that up with 38 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds versus Chattanooga on Nov. 6, falling just two rebounds short.
- On Nov. 11, McGill became the first player in Florida women’s basketball history to be recognized as a USBWA National Player of the Week. She averaged 27.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 5.0 steals while shooting 40.9 percent from three-point range across three wins. She also earned SEC Player of the Week honors for the same stretch.
- Liv McGill’s 611 points last season ranked third nationally among freshmen and set a new Florida program record for first-year players.
- She has scored in double figures in 36 of her 40 career games with the Gators.
- Laila Reynolds went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line against Jacksonville on Nov. 10, establishing new career highs.
- Me’Arah O’Neal has already recorded three double-doubles this season, adding to the one she posted during her freshman year.
PROJECTED SAMFORD STARTERS
| Tennessee | No. | Ht. | Pos. | Class | Hometown/Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jada Knight | 1 | 5-7 | G | Gr. | Hoover, Ala. |
| Francie Morris | 5 | 5-9 | G | Fr. | Montgomery, Ala. |
| Aubury Blankenship | 10 | 6-0 | F | R-So. | Mount Juliet, Tenn. |
| Brianna Rivera | 11 | 5-5 | G | So. | Orlando, Fla. |
| Emily Snoddy (Bowman) | 44 | 6-5 | C | R-Sr. | Huntsville, Ala. |
Samford Quick Hits
- The Bulldogs have added seven newcomers to their 2025-26 roster. Transfers Briana Rivera (Austin Peay) and Sydney Martin (Northern Kentucky University) join freshmen Avary Brewer, Kaylee Yarbrough, Camryn Register, Francie Morris, and Carla Baguda.
- Emily Snoddy (née Bowman) earned a spot on the Southern Conference All-Defensive Team last season and was selected to the preseason All-Southern Conference Team heading into the current campaign.
- Martha Bishop is competing as a two-sport athlete. In addition to playing forward for the women’s basketball team, she also contributed to Samford’s Southern Conference regular season championship in women’s soccer.
