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Florida women’s basketball will visit Columbia on Thursday night to take on No. 4 South Carolina. Both teams are coming off of losses and are looking to improve.
The Gamecocks lead the all-time series with a 22-20 record and 16 consecutive wins over the Gators. Florida (12-12, 3-7 SEC) has yet to beat South Carolina under coach Kelly Rae Finley.
Looking Back
South Carolina (22-2, 10-1) is coming off a momentum-shifting loss to No. 3 Texas on Sunday. The Longhorns defeated the Gamecocks 66-62, snapping South Carolina’s 57-game SEC regular-season win streak dating back to the 2021-22 season. Texas led the entire contest, unwilling to let South Carolina leave Austin unscathed.
The Gators had a similar story as they faced No. 23 Alabama on Thursday. Florida put up a fight in the first half, going into halftime trailing by five after a 17-17 tie at the end of the first quarter. However, the Crimson Tide pulled away in the fourth. Alabama’s Aaliyah Nye finished with 27 points and set a school record and career-high of nine 3-pointers.
Thursday Night Matchup
Florida will need to take advantage of opportunities at the free throw line. Against Texas, South Carolina had 20 personal fouls. The Gators set a season best, 85.7%, in free throw shooting against Alabama. If the Gamecocks have a similar game with fouling, Florida will have easy chances to score.
The Gators will have to look out for sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley. Fulwiley has led South Carolina in scoring for two straight games, putting up 13 against Texas.
However, Florida has a leading guard of its own in freshman Liv McGill, who averages 16.4 points per game. Against Alabama, she helped the Gators offensively with 22 points, recording her tenth game with over 20 points.
LIV😤@mcgiaiviA1 triple makes this her 10th 20pt game of her Gator career
— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) February 7, 2025
📺https://t.co/mU6OUsCAPd pic.twitter.com/KMhOj7uO2b
Defensively, the Gamecocks will have to keep an eye out for senior guard Jeriah Warren. Warren had double digits in rebounds against Alabama, accumulating ten for the Gators. Thursday’s matchup was her second time this season with ten rebounds.
Game Time
Florida plays South Carolina at the Colonial Life Arena with tip-off set for 7 p.m. The game is available for streaming on the SEC Network and airs on ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF at 6:40 p.m.
