Gators Improve To 3-0 With Dominant Win Against Chicago State

The Florida women’s basketball team improved to 3-0 Tuesday after a 104-35 win against Chicago State at the O’Connell Center.

Liv McGill and Jeriah Warren led the way with 21 and 19 points, respectively. 

Off To The Races

The Gators started hot with an 11-0 run through the first few minutes. Me’Arah O’Neal began the scoring for Florida and had nine first-quarter points.

Ra Shaya Kyle led the Gators defense in the paint and was a strong presence against the Cougars (0-4). She tallied seven boards in the first 10 minutes.

Florida slowed down halfway through the first and didn’t score again until there was a minute left.

Despite the offensive lull, the Gators defense continued to fight, forcing turnovers and capitalizing on Chicago State’s mistakes.

Florida held the Cougars to 10 first-half points to set a school record. Chicago State shot under 13% from the field in the first two quarters.

The Gators were up 49-10 at the half.

Fast-Paced Offense

Warren and McGill helped contribute to an 11-0 run halfway through the third quarter in leading the team in effort plays and on offense.

McGill now has three consecutive double-digit outings to begin the season and continues to settle into a leadership role.

“My whole life I’ve considered myself a pass-first point guard. So, owning up to that role and being a leader, getting my teammates organized and putting them in the best positions possible opens it up for me,” McGill said. 

Finishing Strong

Although the Gators held a safe lead all game, the players continued to fight and saw solid production from the bench.

Alexia Gassett and Eriny Kindred scored in double digits, along with four other Gators.

The Cougars made a last-minute push with back-to-back 3s late in the fourth, but it was too little too late, as Florida cruised to its second consecutive win scoring more than 100 points.

“We’re going to continue to get better and better and better. I think we can play a lot of different styles of basketball. I think we can win in the fifties and I think we can win in the hundreds,” UF coach Kelly Rae Finley said. “We have a very smart and very versatile team.”

Up Next

The Gators remain home Saturday when they welcome the Miami Hurricanes (2-0) for a noon game (SEC Network+, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF). Show your Florida-LSU football game ticket to get into Saturday’s game for free.