Florida Gators Women’s Hoops Set to Take on the Georgia Bulldogs

The Florida Gators Women’s Basketball team (14-10) will travel to Athens on Sunday for a rivalry matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs (16-9).

Getting Back in the Win Column

Kelly Rae Finley and the Florida Gators find themselves at the outside looking in for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Gators have lost their past two matchups by a combined 43 points, without eclipsing the 60-point mark in either matchup. On the season, Florida has been averaging 70.1 points a game compared to their opponents’ 67.0.

Georgia will be a tough test for an already struggling Florida squad. The Bulldogs have been one of the SEC’s surprise teams of the year in exceeding expectations. They have won three of their past four matchups with their only loss coming in overtime to No. 3 ranked LSU. Additionally, Georgia has been strong at their home court. The Bulldogs have a staggering 10-3 record at home, compared to just a 3-4 record on the road.

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Leaders of the Pack

The Bulldogs are led by two seniors who are both scoring in double digits. Diamond Battles, a senior guard, leads the team in points with 14.2  a matchup along with nearly two steals a game. To compliment Battles, senior forward Brittney Smith contributes a steady 12.4 points a game along with 5.6 boards. Look for the Bulldogs to push the pace along with moving the ball, averaging nearly 15 assists a game.

On Florida’s side, first-year head coach Kelly Rae Finley’s squad is led by senior guard KK Deans . On the year, Dean is averaging 14 points per game while also being a key floor general for the Gators. She will look to improve from her last performance against the Aggies where she scored only two points. Dean also leads the team in assists and steals with nearly 4 assists and 2 steals a game.

Another key contributor for the orange and blue is junior center Ra Shaya Kyle. While averaging 10 points per game and six rebounds, Kyle has made a big leap as the starting center. She will look to build off her 12-point performance in the previous game when the Gators face the Bulldogs.

Even with the midseason struggles for the Gators, Finley still has the support of her locker room. ESPN college basketball analyst Steffi Sorensen spoke on Finley’s impact as a coach.