Florida will retake the court on Thursday evening and play another ranked SEC team. UF is set to play No. 23 Vanderbilt in hopes of securing the program's first ranked win since 2022.
GAINESVILLE, Fla.— Florida is set to face No. 23 Vanderbilt at home in a Thursday evening SEC matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with live coverage available on SECN+. This game marks the eighth Southeastern Conference appearance of the season for both UF and Vanderbilt.
Game Day Details: Florida vs. No. 23 Vanderbilt
- Date: Thurs., Jan. 30
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Site: Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O'Connell Center
- Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM
- Watch: SECN+
- Live stats: Statbroadcast
- Promotion: Country Night
- Giveaway: LED western hats for the first 500 fans
- Halftime: Line dancing performances
What a Florida Victory Would Mean
- Would be Florida’s second victory over Vanderbilt in under a year
- Would mark the Gators’ first win against a ranked opponent since 2022
- Would secure UF’s tenth home win of the season
- Would snap Florida’s current three-game skid
- Would improve the Gators’ SEC record to 3–5
- Would bring Florida’s all-time SEC tally to 229–330
- Would give Coach Finley her 68th career win leading UF
TALE OF THE TAPE:
| Florida | Vanderbilt | |
|---|---|---|
| 77.6 | PPG | 85.8 |
| 67.3 | OPP PPG | 62.9 |
| 9.2 | SCORING MARGIN | 22.9 |
| 47.2 | FG % | 45.8 |
| 39.7 | OPP FG% | 41.3 |
| 33.5 | 3 FG% | 32.5 |
| 71.5 | FT % | 77.6 |
| 40.2 | REBOUNDS PG | 40.6 |
| 14.7 | ASSISTS PG | 17.4 |
| 17.1 | TURNOVERS PG | 13.5 |
| 7.8 | STEALS PG | 12.8 |
| 4.1 | BLOCKS PG | 3 |
Series History
Vanderbilt holds a 34–29 edge in the all-time series against Florida.
Gators vs. VANDERBILT HISTORY:
Florida and Vanderbilt have faced off 63 times since their first meeting in 1978. The rivalry has remained active over the decades, with 25 contests held in Gainesville, 28 in Nashville, and nine at neutral venues. Thursday’s game marks Vanderbilt’s return to Exactech Arena for the first time since Jan. 22, 2023. Florida’s most recent win over the Commodores came on March 7, 2024, with a 62–59 victory in the SEC Tournament.
PROJECTED FLORIDA STARTERS:
| Florida | No. | Height | Position | Class | Hometown/Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexia Dizeko | 9 | 5-11 | F | Sr. | Sion, Switzerland |
| Laila Reynolds | 13 | 6-1 | G | So. | PG County, MD |
| Jeriah Warren | 20 | 6-0 | G | Sr. | Lake Charles, LA |
| Liv McGill | 23 | 5-9 | G | Fr. | Minneapolis, MN |
| Ra Shaya Kyle | 24 | 6-6 | C | Sr. | Marion, Ind. / Purdue |
Florida’s Most Recent Performance
On Sunday, Jan. 26, Florida fell 74–51 on the road against Auburn, marking a season-low scoring output for the Gators.
Ra Shaya Kyle and Liv McGill each contributed 11 points to lead the offense, while Laila Reynolds added 10 and Kenza Salgues chipped in seven. Both teams finished with 31 rebounds, but Florida couldn’t match the scoring efforts of Auburn’s DeYona Gatson (18 points), Celia Sumbane (12), and Oyindamola Akinbolawa (16).
Gator Quick Hits
- Florida leads the SEC in three-point accuracy during conference play, shooting 41.7% from deep
- The Gators rank No. 1 in the SEC for defensive rebounding in league games, posting a 72.7% rate
- Freshman Liv McGill has recorded eight games with 20+ points
- Florida ranks No. 5 in the SEC and No. 18 nationally with a 47.2% field goal percentage
- Four Gators average double-digit scoring:
- McGill (15.9), Kyle (14.8), Warren (13.0), Reynolds (10.4)
- McGill and Kyle both rank in the SEC’s top 20 for scoring:
- McGill at No. 15 (15.8), Kyle at No. 18 (14.7)
- Kyle has posted 10 double-doubles this season, placing her No. 16 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC
- McGill leads all NCAA freshmen in total assists (108) and assists per game (5.1)
- Kyle ranks No. 5 in the SEC for rebounds per game (9.1)
- Florida is undefeated this season when holding opponents to 69 points or fewer
- The Gators have scored 20+ points in 39 of 86 quarters played
- Shayla Warren leads the SEC in three-point shooting during conference play at 60.7%
- Kyle ranks No. 10 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC with a 62.4% field goal percentage
- Kyle is No. 4 in the SEC and No. 33 in the NCAA for total rebounds (192)
- Alexia Gassett leads the team in blocks with 20 this season
- Eriny Kindred tops Florida’s free throw chart, hitting 89.5% (17-of-19) from the line
PROJECTED VANDERBILT STARTERS:
| Vanderbilt | No. | Height | Position | Class | Hometown/Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikayla Blakes | 1 | 5-8 | G | Fr. | Somerset, N.J/ Rutgers Prep |
| Jane Nwaba | 10 | 5-10 | F | Gr. | Carson, Calif./ Palisades Charter |
| Jordyn Oliver | 11 | 5-10 | G | Gr. | Prosper TX. / Prosper |
| Khamil Pierre | 12 | 6-2 | F | So. | Phoenix, Ariz./Perry |
| Iyana Moore | 23 | 5-8 | G | Sr. | Milwaukee, Wis./Blackman |
Vanderbilt Fast Facts – 2025 Season Snapshot
- Riding a three-game winning streak, including narrow upsets over then-No. 15 Tennessee (71–70) and No. 19 Alabama (66–64)
- Mikayla Blakes is the only freshman in the NCAA with multiple 30-point performances this season
- Ranked No. 5 in the SEC for scoring offense, averaging 85.76 points per game
- Hold the No. 2 spot in the SEC for free throw accuracy at 77.6%
- Averaging 17.4 assists per game, placing them fourth in the SEC for ball distribution
- Ranked second in the SEC for steals, averaging 12.7 per contest
- No. 8 nationally in offensive rebounding, pulling down 16.4 per game
- Three players averaging double-digit scoring:
- Khamil Pierre (21.7), Mikayla Blakes (20.9), and Jordyn Moore (13.6)
- Pierre ranks No. 4 in the NCAA and No. 2 in the SEC with 12 double-doubles
- Pierre is also No. 2 in the SEC and No. 8 nationally in scoring (21.7 PPG)
- Leads the SEC in steals with 3.2 per game
- Second in the SEC for rebounding, averaging 10.3 boards per game
- Blakes ranks No. 8 in the nation for total points (440) and No. 4 in the SEC for scoring average (20.9 PPG)
- Jada Oliver is No. 11 in the SEC for total assists (81) and averages 3.8 per game
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