GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Women’s Basketball team held visiting Samford without a field goal for more than 12 minutes Thursday evening, including the entirety of the second quarter as they improved to 4-0 with an, 87-40, victory over the Bulldogs (2-1).

KEY RUNS

1st Quarter (Gators 14, Bulldogs 7)

• Both rims had lids on them early as the teams combined to make just 5 of 22 shots before the first media time out. Laila Reynolds had all three of the Gators made baskets at that point as Florida led 8-5. The Gators scored the first four points coming out of the break, and six of the final eight of the period. This marked the fourth time this season that the Gators have held an opponent to fewer than 10 points in a quarter. Reynolds and Nyadieng Yiech led all scorers with six points apiece.

2nd Quarter  (Gators 41, Bulldogs 8)

• Florida scored the first 17 points to start the second and effectively take control of the game. Samford finally got on the scoreboard in the quarter thanks to a Briana Rivera free throw with 2:20 remaining before intermission, but they failed to connect on a field goal attempt throughout the entire 10 minutes of play (0 for 10, seven turnovers). Meanwhile the Gators connected on 11 of 18 shots from the floor. Liv McGill, who was held scoreless in the first quarter, scored a game-high 12 in the second.

3rd Quarter  (Gators 67, Bulldogs 28)

• Samford finally ended their field goal drought when Rivera nailed a three-pointer from the corner with 1:07 gone in the period. Florida’s lead ballooned to as many as 42 points in the quarter. Me’Arah O’Neal led all scorers with 10 points on four of five shooting from the field, including two three-pointers.

4th Quarter  (Gators 87, Bulldogs 40)

• Samford cut the Gators lead to 34 early in the fourth, but a 12-1 run midway through the period pushed the lead out to 45. Nyadieng Yiech scored 6 of her career-high 18 points in the fourth, making all three of her field goal attempts.

KEY STATS

• Florida held Samford without a field goal for 12 minutes and 46 seconds (from 1:39 remaining in the first quarter to 1:07 gone in the third).
• The Gators outshot the Bulldogs from the field, 54.8% (34-62) to 25.0% (13-52).
• The Gators outrebounded Samford, 42-28.
• Florida forced the Bulldogs into committing 18 turnovers which the Gators flipped into 27 points. Meanwhile, Samford scored eight points off of nine Florida miscues.
• The Gators outscored the Bulldogs 46-14 in the paint, and 20-6 in second chance points.
• Florida committed just nine turnovers on the night. The last time they committed nine or fewer turnovers in a game was against Florida State with seven (12/12/21).

Post Game Press Conference: Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley, Nyadieng Yiech and Liv McGill 

FROM THE GATORS’ MOUTHS

• Liv McGill on how her strong emotions after plays help fuel the team’s performance… — “I live for the excitement, as you all know. When I have a lot of energy, my team feeds off of it. So most of the time I know when we’re feeling down or need a little oomph or a little push, even if I don’t score something or somebody else scores I’m going to get hype, I’m going to bring the energy because Gators Women’s Basketball feeds off of that.”
• Coach Finley on the Gators overall performance in the game… — “I thought that was a good defensive outing for us. I thought we played with great pace throughout the course of the game. We were able to execute a lot of things that we’ve been working on in practice from an offensive standpoint. Not our greatest second half defense, which is something we are really looking to improve on, but I would guess holding them to one point in the second quarter has got to be a program or school record. That was pretty low, you can’t get too much lower than that.”
• Nyadieng Yiech on what was working for her for a successful offensive outing… — “Honestly, just trusted my reads and stayed in the moment. Just stayed in the offense, trusted in what my coaches said and just stayed in the moment.”
• Nyadieng Yiech on how Me’Arah O’Neal has taken her under her wing to help her transition into the program… — “I think she’s helped me just get used to being in college and being a freshman, and she’s felt a lot of the same feelings that I’m feeling right now. She’s just helping me with my mental transition, my physical transition, whether that’s in practice, in games or even outside of basketball.”

GATOR BITES

• Florida is now 19-2 at home in November under Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley.
• Florida has won its first four games for the first time since the 2019-20 season. The program record for wins to start the season is nine, accomplished on four occasions (2000-01, 1995-96, 1984-85, 1983-84).
• The Gators are now 3-0 all-time against Samford.
• Liv McGill scored in double figures for the 37th time as a Gator, and 20 or more points for the 16th time (20 points).
• Florida held Samford to seven points in the first quarter, and just one in the second. That marks the fourth and fifth times this season that the Gators have held an opponent below 10 points in a period.
• Me’Arah O’Neal scored in double figures for the fourth straight game this season, and the sixth time in her career (18 points)
• UAB transfer Jade Weathersby saw her first action of the season for the Gators, entering the game at the start of the fourth quarter, and scoring the first basket of her Florida career on a layup with 7:20 remaining in the game.
• Nyadieng Yiech made all eight of her shots from the field on the night en route to a career-high 18 points.

NEXT OPPONENT
The Gators head to Annapolis, Md. this weekend for a Sunday, November 16 meeting with Navy (2-0). Tip is slated for 1 p.m. EST at Alumni Hall.

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