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The Florida Gators women’s basketball team defeated the Hofstra Pride at the O’Connell Center, 75-48, on Monday night to end a four-game losing streak.
Second-Half Dominance
The game was a back-and-forth battle for the first four minutes of the first quarter. Just when the Gators (4-4) pulled ahead, the Pride (2-5) had an answer.
That was until the Gators were able to hold Hofstra to a field-goal drought that spanned the final 6:40 of the opening quarter for a 25-10 lead to end the first.
However, the Pride were not going down without a fight. They started the second quarter on a 9-1 run to cut their deficit to seven.
From there, the second quarter was a back-and-forth battle. The Gators went into halftime with a 36-27 lead.
The Gators were able to expand on the lead in the third quarter. After two careless turnovers in the last minute of the quarter, Jeriah Warren hit a triple to put the Gators up 57-39 heading into the final frame.
Florida continued building on its lead to as big 29 in the fourth quarter.
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On defense, the Gators held the Pride to just 28.7% shooting. They were led in scoring by Chloe Sterling, who had 19 points on 6/18 from the field.
Players of the Game
On offense, Florida was led by senior Ra Shaya Kyle. She had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. She was efficient from the floor, making seven of her 10 shots.
Freshman Me’Arah O’Neal also had her first double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. O’Neal said she was eager to get out there and put in good effort.
“Last night, I was really dreaming about how I was going to play today,” O’Neal said. “I was just trying to live up to that … and give my best effort.”
Reynold’s Home Debut
The biggest storyline for the Gators was Laila Reynold’s home debut. The sophomore guard had missed the previous home games due to injury, but she was excited to be back at the O’Connell Center.
“It felt great to be able to play with my teammates and play Gator basketball,” Reynolds said. “Just have to make sure I hit my shots, my free throws and be able to get my teammates involved.”
Florida coach Kelly Rae Finley reflected on Reynold’s importance to the team, emphasizing her strides in being a leader.
“[Reynolds is] the ultimate example of what a Gator women’s basketball player should be,” Finley said. “How she talks, how she acts, what she does, what she’s about. Where she’s grown probably the most is in her leadership, with her voice.”
Up Next
The Gators will look to go back above .500 when they travel to Clemson to take on the Tigers (5-2) on Thursday at 8 p.m. (ACC Network, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.)
