Women’s Basketball Set to Host Kentucky Sunday

The Southeastern Conference schedule continues for the Florida Gators women’s basketball team Sunday afternoon when the Kentucky Wildcats visit Gainesville. Both teams are looking to get back in the win column. The 12-5 Gators have dropped their last two SEC games against Arkansas and Georgia, while the Wildcats are riding a five-game skid.

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Florida’s Season To This Point

Kelly Rae Finley has continued last season’s success with a strong start to her first full season as the program’s head coach. In non-conference play, the Gators dominated their competition, going 12-1 with the only loss coming against Florida State on Nov. 16.

SEC play has been a struggle through the first four games, with Florida’s only conference victory coming against Texas A&M on New Year’s Day. Florida has enjoyed the contributions of West Virginia transfer KK Deans, who leads the team in scoring and has shot 39.4% from the field this season. Deans has been the ultimate playmaker on both sides of the ball, ranking inside the SEC’s top-10 in multiple categories. Deans and senior guard Nina Rickards rank inside the top-20 in the SEC in scoring.

Sophomore guard Alberte Rimdal and Deans have proved to be a dual threat from beyond the arc, combining for 67 triples on the year. If the Gators want to get back on track, they’ll need Deans and her supporting cast to put together a solid effort against the struggling Wildcats.

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Kentucky’s Slow SEC Start

The Wildcats are 0-5 in SEC play, dropping games to Missouri, Arkansas, Georgia, LSU and South Carolina. The closest Kentucky came to its first conference win was Dec. 29 against Missouri, which ended 74-71. Kentucky is 8-9 overall, having done well in non-conference play.

Graduate guard Robyn Benton leads the team in scoring and 3-pointers made. She also ranks 11th in the SEC in total points and 18th in field goal percentage. Kentucky’s defense has been a bright spot this season, with Benton, Jada Walker and Maddie Scherr all ranking in the top four in the SEC in steals.

Florida took care of business against the Wildcats last season in Lexington, winning 77-52 on Jan. 20, 2022.

Where To Watch

Florida and Kentucky tip off at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.