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The Florida Gators women’s basketball team faced a challenging matchup Thursday against the No. 23 Alabama Crimson Tide at the O’Connell Center. Despite notable performances from freshman guard Liv McGill and senior center Ra Shaya Kyle, the Gators fell short, 84-66.
Bright Spots For Gators
McGill and Kyle had strong performances for the Gators (12-12, 3-7 SEC):
- McGill led the Gators with 22 points, shooting 9-of-25 from the field, including 2-of-6 from beyond the arc. She also contributed six rebounds and six assists, showcasing her versatility.
- Kyle provided a strong presence in the paint, 15 points and seven rebounds. She was a perfect 9 of 9 from the free-throw line.
- Laila Reynolds added 14 points, connecting on 7-of-17 field goal attempts and grabbed five rebounds.
Alabama’s Offensive Prowess
The Crimson Tide’s offense was formidable, with Aaliyah Nye delivering an exceptional performance:
- Aaliyah Nye scored a game-high 27 points, making 9-of-15 shots from the field, including an impressive 9-of-12 from 3-point range.
- Sarah Ashlee Barker contributed a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
- Essence Cody added 16 points and nine rebounds.
Team Statistics
- Florida struggled on the shooting side, converting 33.3% (25 of 75) on field goal attempts and 21.1% (4 of 19) from 3-point range.
- Alabama (19-5, 6-4) was the opposite, shooting 51.6% (32 of 62) from the field and 52.2% (12 of 23) from beyond the arc.
Up Next
The Gators look to regroup as they have another tough matchup next week Thursday at No. 2-ranked South Carolina (22-1, 10-0) at 7 p.m. on the SEC Network and ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.
