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Florida women’s basketball will start a three-game homestand on Wednesday when they host the the Atlantic 10 preseason favorites, Dayton. This will mark the third meeting between the Gators and Flyers, with UF holding a 2-0 series lead. The last time Florida played Dayton was in the first found of the NCAA Tournament, winning 83-69.
Previous Matchup
During their last game, the Gators captured an important win over TCU in the BIG 12/SEC Challenge. As a team, UF overcame an 11.1% three-point shooting performance against the Horned Frogs to earn the victory, 63-54. The Gators also forced 23 turnovers, leading to a 16-2 fast break points advantage.
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Key Players
Gators
On Sunday against TCU, the Gators were led offensively by Lavender Briggs who tallied a season-high 22 points, pushing her to 920 career points. Briggs is just 80 points away from becoming the 27th-member of the 1,000-point club at Florida. Briggs currently averages 13.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.
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Kiara Smith also ended in double-figure with 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists against TCU, giving her the 10th double-double of her career. Smith currently averages 12.1 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 steals. Smith’s defense has been recognized at an elite level for the 2021-22 season, as she currently sits at 20th nationally with a total of 25 steals on the year.
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Flyers
On Sunday against Illinois State, Dayton jumped out to an early lead in the first three minutes thanks to a pair of threes from Erin Whalen. Whalen had a team-high 18 points to go with seven rebounds. Whalen is shooting for 39% from the floor, averaging 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Makira Cook is also an offensive threat as she is shooting 40% beyond the arc, averaging 15.4 points per game. The Gators will need to defend well in the paint as Cook is known to drive to the basket as well.
Looking Ahead
Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Coverage of the game can be heard live on 98.1FM/850AM WRUF at 1:45 p.m.
