GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Women’s Basketball Team (11-2) will host Tulsa (7-4) this Sunday afternoon in their final contest before the December holiday break. The matchup is the second game of a men’s-women’s doubleheader at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, tipping off at 2:45 p.m. EST.
The Gators enter the weekend riding a 10-game home winning streak after Wednesday’s 75-51 victory over Florida A&M. Liv McGill led the way with 29 points, while Me’Arah O’Neal recorded her sixth double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds.
As of Thursday, Dec. 18, Liv McGill ranks second nationally in scoring (26.1), fifth in steals per game (4.09), and tied for 20th in assists per game (5.8). She narrowly missed her fourth 30+ point outing of the season on Wednesday, which would have tied her with Iowa State’s Audi Crooks for the most such games among Division I women’s basketball players this year.F
Me’Arah O’Neal is averaging 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, and is tied for ninth in the nation with six double-doubles. Leila Reynolds (12.8 ppg) joins McGill and O’Neal to give Florida three double-digit scorers this season.
Tulsa opened the year with five straight wins before dropping four of its next five. The Golden Hurricane bounced back Thursday night with a 67-43 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Offensively, Tulsa ranks among the nation’s stronger teams in three-point shooting (.339, 82nd) and free throw percentage (.754, 53rd). However, turnovers remain an issue, as they average 20.7 per game, the 32nd highest mark nationally.
Preseason All-American Conference pick Mady Cartwright leads Tulsa with 16.1 points per game, shooting 36.4 percent from three and 87.0 percent from the free throw line. Hannah Riddick adds 12.1 points per game and leads the team in rebounding with 7.4 boards per contest.
Florida and Tulsa are tied 1-1 in their all-time series. The teams first met during the 1983-84 season, when Florida earned a 70-52 road win. The rivalry was renewed on December 10, 2023, with Tulsa evening the series after a 72-64 victory. Laila Reynolds paced the Gators with 14 points, and Florida led after each of the first three quarters before Tulsa closed strong, scoring 18 of the final 22 points to secure the win.
Tulsa (7-4)
- Date: Sunday, December 21
- Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
- Site: Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center
- Listen: wruf.com/listen-live/
- Watch: SECN+
- Live stats: FloridaGators.com
A FLORIDA WIN WOULD …
- Improve the Gators’ record to 12-2 this season. Only seven teams in program history have started with 12 wins in their first 14 games.
- Extend Florida’s home record to 10-0 this year.
- Push the Gators to 34-3 at home during November and December in the Kelly Rae Finley era, including 9-0 this season.
- Stretch Florida’s streak of non-conference home victories to 16, the sixth-longest such run in program history.
- Mark the Gators’ 11th consecutive home win overall, also the sixth-longest streak in program history.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| Florida | Tulsa | |
|---|---|---|
| 78.3 | PPG | 72.5 |
| 56.4 | OPP PPG | 64.7 |
| +21.9 | SCORING MARGIN | 8.2 |
| 45.9 | FG % | 41.7 |
| 35.1 | OPP FG% | 38.4 |
| 26.2 | 3 FG% | 33.9 |
| 25.8 | OPP 3 FG% | 31.1 |
| 4.7 | 3FG/G | 7.6 |
| 70.1 | FT % | 75.4 |
| 42.5 | REBOUNDS/G | 39.7 |
| 35.2 | OPP REBOUNDS/G | 32.4 |
| +7.3 | REB MARGIN | 7.3 |
| 13.8 | ASSISTS/G | 14.3 |
| 15.9 | TURNOVER/G | 20.7 |
| +0.86 | A/TO RATIO | +0.69 |
| 11.5 | STEALS/G | 9.1 |
| 4.54 | BLOCKS/G | 4.18 |
PROJECTED FLORIDA STARTERS
| No. | Ht. | Pos. | Class | Hometown/Previous School | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Me'Arah O'Neal | 8 | 4-Jun | F | So | Houston Texas |
| Alexia Dizeko | 9 | 11-May | G | Gr. | Sion, Switzerland |
| Laila Reynolds | 13 | 1-Jun | G | Jr. | PG County, Md. |
| Caterina Piatti | 14 | 4-Jun | F | Fr. | Scandiano, Italy |
| Liv McGill | 23 | 9-May | G | So | Minneapolis, Minn. |
GATOR BITES
- As of Thursday, Dec. 18, Florida ranks:
- 12th in the SEC in points per game (78.3)
- 11th in scoring defense (56.4)
- 12th in scoring margin (+21.9)
- 11th in field goal percentage (.459)
- Eighth in field goal percentage defense (.351)
- 16th in three-point field goal percentage (.262)
- Third in three-point field goal percentage defense (.258)
- 10th in offensive rebound percentage (.374)
- 13th in defensive rebound percentage (.705)
- 13th in assists (13.8)
- Seventh in steals (11.5)
- 10th in blocked shots (4.54)
- Tied for 10th in turnover margin (+4.85)
- The Gators have held 15 consecutive opponents under 70 points.
- Florida ranks 16th nationally in free throw attempts per game (23.4).
- Florida’s NET rating, which factors into NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship selections, stood at No. 51 through games of Thursday, Dec. 18.
- Liv McGill became the first player in Gators women’s basketball history to earn US Basketball Writers Association National Player of the Week honors on Tuesday, Nov. 11. She averaged 27.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 5.00 steals, while shooting 40.9 percent from three across three Florida wins. She also collected SEC Player of the Week recognition for the same stretch.
- Liv McGill was named the most outstanding player of the Grand Cayman Classic over Thanksgiving weekend, averaging 27.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.00 steals, and 1.00 blocked shot.
- Liv McGill has delivered three games this season with at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Across the more than 4,500 Division I women’s basketball players, the rest have combined for only four such 25-5-5-5 performances.
PROJECTED TULSA STARTERS
| No. | Ht. | Pos. | Class | Hometown / Previous Schools | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abby Jegede | 4 | 5-10 | G | RS Jr. | Toronto, Ontario / Villanova, Northeastern |
| Jade Clark | 15 | 6-1 | G | Jr. | Buda, Texas / TCU |
| Hannah Riddick | 17 | 6-1 | F | RS Sr. | Calgary, Alberta / Memphis |
| Mady Cartwright | 22 | 5-10 | G | Jr. | Greenwood, Ark. / |
| Dora Toman | 33 | 6-0 | G | Fr. | Budapest, Hungary / |
GOLDEN HURRICANE QUICK HITS
- The Golden Hurricane were projected to finish eighth among 13 teams in the American Conference preseason coaches’ poll.
- Tulsa currently ranks as the second-best three-point shooting team in the American Conference (.339).
- Under Angie Nelp, the Golden Hurricane have posted winning records in each of the past four seasons, highlighted by a 25-10 campaign in 2023-24.
- Tulsa stands 33rd nationally in free throw attempts per game (22.2).
- The Golden Hurricane are undefeated at home this season (6-0), but have gone 1-2 on the road and 0-2 in neutral-site contests.
- Junior guard Mady Cartwright earned a spot on the Preseason All-American Conference Second Team.
- Mady Cartwright, the team’s leading scorer at 16.1 points per game, has reached double figures in nine of 11 outings this season.
- Freshman Dora Toman has twice been recognized as the American Conference Freshman of the Week this year.
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