Gators Women’s Basketball Nabs Third SEC Win Against Texas A&M

After an unfortunate 2-6 start to SEC play, the Gators Women’s basketball team secured their third SEC win Thursday night. Two of these wins have come against the Aggies, who are currently last in the SEC with a 1-9 conference record.

https://twitter.com/GatorsWBK/status/1621330022291095553

Game Recap

The Gators desperately needed a win on Thursday to try to get their SEC record back on track. They kept their foot on the gas through most of the game, jumping out to a first-quarter lead and maintaining it. It was a low-scoring affair and most shots for both teams were contested. Florida’s defense proved more suffocating for the Aggies, who shot an abysmal 18-for-53 from inside the arc.

Perhaps the most consequential difference between the two teams was the effectiveness in the paint. While A&M only tacked on 18 points in the paint, Florida dropped 40.

Normally, if a team is going to overcome this kind of domination in the paint, they need to shoot the three ball well. The Aggies’ 6-for-18 from deep did not cut it. The Gators did not need to bomb threes, which they certainly did not — they went 1-for-8 in the game, with their only bucket coming from Jordyn Merritt in the fourth.

https://twitter.com/GatorsWBK/status/1621307572857995264

On the bright side for the Aggies, their reserves added a lot of value for the team. TAMU lead UF 31-14 in bench points.

Ra Shaya’s Career Night

One of the main reasons Florida was so dominant inside was Ra Shaya Kyle.

Not only did the Purdue transfer lead the Gators with 13 points on 6-for-12 shooting, but she also notched a career-high 17 rebounds. The 6-foot-6 center also created second-chance points, with three of her boards coming on the offensive end.

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽 | Kyle’s Career Night Helps Gators Top Aggies

📰: https://t.co/uxBRIno5Rc#GoGators

— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) February 3, 2023

Next on the Docket

The Gators will look to pull off an upset against Ole Miss Sunday afternoon. The Rebs are 18-5 overall and 7-3 in SEC play.

A road win against this formidable team would bode well for the rest of the Gators’ season and the team’s momentum. The Gators have not won back-to-back games since December 11 and December 18.

Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 4:00 pm.