Gators guard Liv McGill attempts to bypass a Saints defender in the first half of the exhibition game against Flagler College at the O'Connell Center on Wednesday. [Ella Thompson/WRUF]

Florida Women’s Basketball Shows Off Freshman Talent In 85-46 Exhibition Win

Hannah Mack October 31, 2024 Basketball, College Basketball, Gators Sports, Gators Women's Basketball, SEC, Women's College Basketball 19 Views

The Florida Gators women’s basketball team tuned up Wednesday for the start of the season with an 85-46 win against Flagler College in an exhibition game at the O’Connell Center.

Ra Shaya Kyle was Florida’s leading scorer with 21 points. Freshmen Liv McGill and Me’Arah O’Neal started for the Gators, along with Kyle, Laila Reynolds and Jeriah Warren.

Florida Gator guard Daviane Mindoudi Ongbakahoumb attempts to pass the ball around a defender in the second half of the Gators’ exhibition game against Flagler College at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on Wednesday.
[Ella Thompson/WRUF]

First-Half Take Off

The Gators got off to a quick start thanks to McGill’s playmaking. McGill orchestrated the offense and found open teammates.

Florida went on an 11-0 run halfway through the first quarter, its largest run of the game. Warren and O’Neal found success from deep, combining for four 3s.

Second-chance points and rebounding were crucial for the Gators, tallied 29 second-chance points thanks to a whopping 63 rebounds. Kyle and Warren led the way with 21 combined boards.

Kyle caught fire with seven straight points in the final minute. Her height overpowered Flagler and helped her draw fouls in the paint.

The Gators led 44-22 at halftime.

Kyle, Florida Bench Dominate Second Half

Kyle picked up where she left off in the third quarter. She finished with 21 points, shooting 8-for-11 from the field and 5-for-7 from the free-throw line.

Alexia Dizeko provided a spark for the Gators halfway through the third with back-to-back jumpers. She finished with six points off the bench.

The Gators best 3-point shooting came in the third with back-to-back triples from Kenza Salgues and Kylee Kitts, who showed confidence in her shot and is crafty down low.

Florida did a solid job with ball movement and many players were able to be involved and produce efficient minutes. The Gators bench combined for 32 points.

Final Stretch

Flagler continued to fight in the final quarter by shooting 40% from the field, its best quarter percentage. The Gators, however, found trouble putting the ball in the net in the final 10, shooting 1-for-8 from deep.

Despite the shooting lulls, Florida continued running the floor and showed effort for the entire 40 minutes.

 

Up Next

Florida tips off the regular season Monday against Florida Atlantic University at 7 p.m. (SECN+, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF) in the O’Connell Center.

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