Kelly Rae Finley has now led the Gators to their second postseason quarterfinals appearance since being named head coach of the program in 2022.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida is set to face Texas Tech in a Thursday night showdown at Exactech Arena. As the No. 3 seed in the 2025 WBIT, the Gators will welcome the Lady Raiders for a quarterfinal matchup tipping off at 6 p.m. ET, with live coverage available on ESPN+.
This marks Florida’s first appearance in a postseason quarterfinal since 2023, when the team traveled to Bowling Green for the WNIT. In that contest, the Gators fell 69–52 to the Falcons, narrowly missing a spot in the semifinals.
Texas Tech (19-17, 4-14 Big 12):
- Date: Thursday, Mar. 27
- Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
- Site: Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O'Connell Center
- Watch: ESPN+
- Radio
- Stats
- Tickets
What’s at Stake for Florida
A win in the WBIT quarterfinals would deliver a series of key milestones for the Gators:
- Improve Florida’s 2025 postseason record to 5–1
- Secure a third straight WBIT victory
- Extend the all-time series lead over Texas Tech to 2–0
- Lock in a winning overall record for the 2024–25 season
- Notch the team’s 12th home win of the year
- Clinch a spot in the WBIT Final Four
- Mark Coach Kelly Rae Finley’s first postseason quarterfinal win
- Return Florida to a postseason semifinal for the first time since 2013
- Last semifinal appearance: WNIT in 2013
- Record Coach Finley’s 75th career win at Florida
TALE OF THE TAPE:
| Florida | THE NUMBERS | Texas Tech |
|---|---|---|
| 75.5 | PPG | 63.7 |
| 71.7 | OPP PPG | 63.1 |
| 3.8 | SCORING MARGIN | 0.6 |
| 45.5 | FG % | 40.8 |
| 41 | OPP FG% | 41.9 |
| 32.6 | 3 FG% | 31.6 |
| 72.9 | FT % | 70.4 |
| 39.8 | REBOUNDS PG | 33.2 |
| 14.6 | ASSISTS PG | 11.7 |
| 17.1 | TURNOVERS PG | 18 |
| 7.3 | STEALS PG | 9 |
| 3.9 | BLOCKS PG | 4.3 |
Series Snapshot
Florida and Texas Tech have met just once in recorded program history. That game took place in December 2018 during the Big 12/SEC Challenge, where the Gators secured a 72–67 win at home. The result gave Florida a 1–0 edge in the all-time series.
ators vs. Lady Raiders: A Brief History
The Gators and Lady Raiders share a limited head-to-head record, with only one prior matchup between the SEC and Big 12 programs. Their lone meeting occurred on December 2, 2018, at Exactech Arena, where Florida earned a 72–67 victory. Thursday’s contest marks the first time these teams will face off in seven years.
PROJECTED FLORIDA STARTERS:
| Florida | No. | Height | �Position | Class | Hometown/Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexia Dizeko | 9 | 11-May | F | Sr. | Sion, Switzerland |
| Laila Reynolds | 13 | 1-Jun | G | So. | PG County, MD |
| Jeriah Warren | 20 | Jun-00 | G | Sr. | Lake Charles, LA |
| Liv McGill | 23 | 9-May | G | Fr. | Minneapolis, MN |
| Ra Shaya Kyle | 24 | 6-Jun | C | Sr. | Marion, Ind. / Purdue |
Florida’s Road to the Quarterfinals
The Gators punched their ticket to the 2025 WBIT quarterfinals with a thrilling 86–84 road win over UNLV on Sunday night. Four Florida players reached double figures, capped by a dramatic buzzer-beating three-pointer from Kenza Salgues to seal the victory.
Liv McGill led the scoring effort with 22 points, while Leilani Warren added 21 and hit six of nine from beyond the arc. On the boards, Alexia Gassett and Ra Shaya Kyle each pulled down seven rebounds. McGill contributed six rebounds and four steals on defense. Florida edged UNLV 37–35 in total rebounds and finished the game shooting 50% from the field.
PROJECTED TEXAS TECH STARTERS:
| Texas Tech | No. | Height | �Position | Class | Hometown/Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasmine Shavers | 3 | 8-May | G | Jr. | Mesquite, Texas / Mississippi State |
| Bailey Maupin | 20 | 10-May | G | Jr. | Gruver, Texas/ Gruver HS |
| Sarengbe Sanogo | 11 | 3-Jun | F/C | Jr. | Paris, France/ Odessa College |
| Denae Fritz | 5 | 11-May | G | Jr. | Maryville, Tenn./ Baylor |
| KIlah Freelon | 2 | 1-Jun | G/F | Jr. | Denver Colo./ Mullen HS |
Scouting the Lady Raiders
Texas Tech enters the third round of the 2025 WBIT with a 19–7 overall record for the season. In Big 12 play, the Lady Raiders picked up four wins—sweeping Houston, and earning victories over BYU and Colorado.
During the Big 12 Tournament, Texas Tech advanced past Kansas and Utah before narrowly falling to Oklahoma State, 62–59, in the quarterfinals.
Their most recent win came on the road against top-seeded Virginia Tech, where they earned a 69–59 victory to secure a spot in the WBIT quarterfinals. Despite being unseeded in the tournament, Texas Tech has already eliminated both the No. 1 and No. 4 seeds. They now head to Gainesville to face No. 3 seed Florida.
On the individual stat sheet:
- Shavers leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game
- Maupin follows with 13.7 points per game
- Freelon anchors the defense with 4.3 rebounds per game
- Sanogo and Shavers each contribute 3.8 rebounds per game
ABOUT THE WBIT:
Event Information
Selection Criteria
Updated Bracket
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
