Florida Women’s Basketball Falls To No. 5 LSU

The Florida Gators women’s basketball team came up short, 80-63, against the No. 5 LSU Tigers at the O’Connell Center on Sunday.

Turnover Trouble

Florida (11-9, 2-4 SEC) battled back after a 7-0 run by LSU (20-0, 5-0) to open the game by closing the first quarter with a 21-15 lead. Despite strong rebounding efforts that surpassed LSU — the nation’s No. 2 rebounding team — the Gators’ turnovers proved costly. By halftime, Florida trailed by four points (37-33) after a series of errors allowed the Tigers to capitalize on opportunities.

While the Gators controlled the boards and created valuable second-chance points early, carelessness in ball handling and passing shifted the momentum. Florida finished with 24 turnovers, which LSU converted into 35 points. The same turnover issues plagued Florida in its previous SEC game, a loss to Ole Miss, where the Gators struggled to overcome late mistakes.

Although Florida won the rebound battle, it failed to capitalize on its strength: scoring in the paint.

After Break

Florida’s productivity waned in the second half when LSU adjusted its approach. The Tigers closed the third quarter on a 9-0 run to build an 11-point lead heading into the final period.

LSU then opened the fourth quarter with a dominant 19-0 run and kept Florida scoreless for nearly six minutes. The Gators’ continued turnovers prevented any chance of building momentum, while LSU stretched its lead in crunch time.

Florida needed to maintain intensity and composure for a full 40 minutes to challenge LSU. However, LSU’s experienced “Big Three” of junior guard Flau’Jae Johnson, sophomore guard Mikaylah Williams and senior forward Aneesah Morrow — who led the Tigers with 20 points — remained steady in showcasing their dominance on the road.

The O’Connell Center crowd of 6,568 was the fourth-largest in Florida women’s basketball history.

Looking Ahead

Florida coach Kelly Rae Finley praised freshman guard Liv McGill, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, for her leadership and ability to shoulder significant responsibilities as a first-year player. McGill led the Gators with 21 points against LSU.

threee for 23!

📺https://t.co/BFWZFmfEKM pic.twitter.com/c6VpjfRN7F

— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) January 19, 2025

Florida continues to navigate the challenges of the SEC schedule and looks to bounce back at Auburn on Jan. 26 at 3 p.m. on SECN+ and ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.