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Florida women’s basketball travels to Baton Rouge to take on the No. 7 LSU Tigers, Sunday.
Key Players
The Gators are led by senior guards Aliyah Matharu and Leilani Correa. Matharu leads the team in points per game with 18.3, but Correa just trails her with 17.9 points per game. Matharu also leads the team with 2.9 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
Matharu played her first two seasons at Mississippi State and then transferred to Texas for her third season before transferring to Florida. However, she was not eligible to play in the 2022-23 season, her first season at Florida, due to transfer rules. The Gators hope to have Matharu back Sunday against the Tigers after missing her last two games with an illness.
Meanwhile, Correa had an outstanding January, averaging 25.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and two steals off of the bench. She has recorded at least 24 points in her last four games, including three games with 30-plus points.
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The defending national champion LSU Tigers are led by junior forward Angel Reese, who leads the team with 19.6 points per game and 12.2 rebounds per game. Reese’s 12.2 rebounds per game is the second-highest per game rebound average in the NCAA. Only BYU’s Lauren Gustin averages more with 15.2 rebounds per game. Furthermore, Reese received the Final Four Most Outstanding Player award while guiding the Tigers to a national championship win over the Iowa Hawkeyes last season.
Florida’s Season So Far
The Gators come into the contest with an 11-8 overall record and a 2-5 record in the SEC. The Gators got off to a 9-3 start in nonconference play but have struggled in the SEC. They started 0-3 in SEC play, losing to No. 1 South Carolina at home before suffering two road losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. In their last outing, Florida defeated Texas A&M 63-51 at home to snap a two-game losing streak. The Gators were able to get the win despite the absence of Matharu and senior center Ra Shaya Kyle, who has been out since Jan. 7 with a knee injury. Correa, once again, led the way for the Gators with 24 points and five rebounds.
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LSU’s Season So Far
The Tigers have an 18-4 record overall with a 5-3 record in the SEC. After going 34-2 in the 2022-23 season, the Tigers have already doubled that loss total this season. Despite still being ranked in the top 10, they haven’t quite been able to find their form from last season. They’ve now lost back-to-back games following losses to No. 1 South Carolina at home and Mississippi State on the road Monday. Reese recorded 20 points, 18 rebounds and five steals in Monday’s loss.
Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. Sunday at Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
