How It Unfolded: Florida vs. LSU

First Quarter Highlights:

• LSU opened with a 7–0 run, but Florida quickly responded to tie it at 7–7
• The Gators took their first lead at 12–10 (5:21)
• Florida held a six-point advantage twice: 16–10 (3:47) and 21–15 (0:59)
• Ra Shaya Kyle led the scoring with seven points, shooting 3-of-4 from the field and 1-of-1 at the line
• Twelve of Florida’s 21 points came from inside the paint
• The team shot 47.1% from the floor (8-of-17)

Second Quarter Summary:

• Florida was limited to 12 points and shot a game-low 23.5% (4-of-17)
• Liv McGill scored nine of the team’s 12 points
• Second-chance points made up 25% of Florida’s scoring in the quarter
• The Gators pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds
• Florida led LSU for a total of 6:32 in the first half
• LSU held a 37–33 lead at halftime

Third Quarter Breakdown:

• LSU extended its lead to 15 points (53–38) at the 4:43 mark
• McGill and Laila Reynolds each added five points for Florida
• The Gators shot 45.5% from the field (5-of-11)
• Florida trailed 59–48 heading into the fourth

Final Quarter Recap:

• Reynolds led the Gators with six of their 15 points
• Eight points came from inside the paint
• LSU built its largest lead at 76–48 (4:38)
• Florida forced four turnovers in the period
• Me’Arah O’Neal led the team with three of its eight rebounds



Noteworthy Stats & Milestones:

• Attendance reached 6,568—fourth highest in program history
• Florida’s 63 points marked its third-lowest scoring game of the 2024–25 season (lowest: 55 vs. Kentucky on Jan. 9)
• McGill has scored in double figures in 18 of 20 games this season
• The Gators shot 37.9% from the field (22-of-58)
• 24 of Florida’s 63 points came from the paint
• Three players scored in double digits: McGill (21), Reynolds (16), and Kyle (11)
• McGill led the team in scoring for the ninth time this season
• Florida recorded 11 assists, with McGill contributing six—her 14th time leading in that category
• Kyle led the rebounding effort with seven boards, her 15th time doing so this season
• Nine players contributed to Florida’s 44 total rebounds
• The Gators committed 24 turnovers, their second-highest total this season
• Florida has scored 20+ points in 39 of 82 quarters played this year
• The team converted 12 of 19 driving layup attempts (63%)
• Florida finished with 73 total possessions, averaging 0.86 points per possession

CAREER HIGHS:

Gator Bites:

On Competing for a Full 40 Minutes: Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley emphasized her team’s development in sustained effort, stating, "I've challenged our young team in how we compete for 40 minutes and I thought we competed harder today than we did against Ole Miss and for a longer period of time. We have two very young guards and I was pleased with the progress that they made in the last three days from Ole Miss to today."

On Me'Arah O'Neal’s Potential: Coach Kelly Rae Finley also spoke about Me'Arah O'Neal's evolving role, noting, "All of our forwards are extremely versatile. We were able to move Me'Arah around to different positions, offensively and defensively. She's a really good three-point shooter. We haven't seen that translate to the game just yet, but in due time when it does, it's going to be really scary. I see her being consistent. She's extremely bought in and she's really driven. I see that paying off for her in a huge way."

TEAM RECORDS:
Florida: (11-8, 2-4 SEC)
LSU: (15-0, 5-0 SEC)

Series Record: Florida vs. LSU

LSU holds the edge in the all-time matchup against Florida, leading the series 33–16.

Next Up: Road Test at Auburn

Florida returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 26, with a road matchup against Auburn. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. ET inside Neville Arena as the Gators face off against the Alabama-based Tigers.

NEXT UP: at Auburn (9-9, 0-5 SEC)

• Date: Sun., Jan. 26
• Time: 3 p.m. ET
• Site: Neville Arena
• Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM
• Watch: SECN+
• Live stats: Statbroadcast