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Jordyn Merritt and the Florida women’s basketball team found a way to win a road match up against nationally ranked Georgia. The Gators won by a margin of 54-51 as each team has now won on the other’s home floor this season.
The SEC hot streak
After starting the SEC portion of the regular season schedule, the Gators are now 7-3 in league play, including five wins against Top 25 opponents and two losses against Top 25 opponents.
https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1490416000361193485
This is the first time the Gators have defeated five ranked opponents since the 2005-2006 season. It is also the first time since the 2003-2004 season the Gators have defeated five ranked SEC opponents.
Looking ahead for the Gators, the only remaining ranked opponent for the regular season is LSU, currently number 15.
How Jordyn Merritt and the Gators pulled off the upset
The first quarter was a slow 10 minutes offensively. Neither team made a three-point shot and there were a combined five turnovers. The two teams went into the second quarter 9-8 with Florida having the one-point advantage.
That changed in the second quarter as the teams scored a combined 31 points. Florida however, held strong against Georgia, holding the lead for over seven minutes of the second quarter and the team went into halftime with a four-point lead.
Georgia shined in the third quarter, outscoring the Gators by eight points to enter the fourth quarter up 42-38 but the Gators were able to finish out the game with a three-point victory despite turning the ball over 20 times.
https://twitter.com/GatorsWBK/status/1490412662303322113
Sophomore Jordyn Merritt finished with 11 points and was just one rebound away from a double-double. That would have been just her second double-double of the season. The Gators got over 27% of their points from the free-throw line, making 15 of 17 attempts.
Looking ahead, the Gators could see a jump into the AP Top 25. They were already receiving votes, and with a Top 25 victory, they have a chance to make it in.
The Gators will continue their road stretch against Mississippi State on Thursday, February 10.
