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The Florida women’s basketball team will face Auburn Wednesday night in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. Both teams are on a losing streak and looking to change the odds in Greenville, South Carolina.
Auburns leads the all-time series 32-24. Last time the two teams faced off on Jan. 26, the Tigers beat the Gators 74-51.
Looking Back
Auburn (12-17, 3-13 SEC) fell to Mississippi State 73-66 on Sunday. Although the Tigers were up 31-24 to start the second half of play, the Bulldogs gained momentum and took the lead with 8:32 left in the third quarter. From that point on, Auburn was unable to close the gap. Mississippi State’s victory marked the Tigers’ sixth consecutive defeat.
Florida (14-16, 5-11) is also coming off a loss after being dominated by No. 1 Texas 72-46 on Sunday. The Gators had the odds stacked against them – the No.1 team in the country against an unranked team. Florida was able to hold its own in the first half of the game, trailing by only 11 points entering the third quarter (29-18). However, the top-ranked Longhorns scored 25 points during the first ten minutes of play in the second half, which created a difficult hurdle for the Gators. The loss closed out the Gators’ regular season on a sour note as they extended their losing streak to three consecutive games.
Wednesday Night Matchup
Auburn has a scoring powerhouse in forward DeYona Gaston, who averages 22.5 points per game. Against Mississippi State, she scored 33 points, accounting for half of her team’s points that night.
However, four Gators average in double digits: Liv McGill (16.2), Ra Shaya Kyle (14.6), Jerriah Warren (11.8) and Laila Reynolds (10.5). If the Florida offense can effectively utilize its top scorers to put up points against the Tigers, the Gators could emerge victorious.
SEC Tournament Play
The Gators have the advantage as they enter the SEC Tournament as the No. 11 seed while the Tigers are 14th-seeded.
Florida will face Auburn in the Bon Secours Wellness Arena with tip-off set for 8:30 p.m. The game is available for streaming on the SEC Network and airs on ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF at 8:10 p.m.
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