Florida women’s basketball guard, Kiki Smith, brought in point after point in for the Gators in a valiant effort against Kentucky. Florida women’s basketball fell in the second round of the SEC tournament today 73-64. The Gators met the Wildcats face-to-face in a back-and-forth match after defeating Auburn in round one on Wednesday, 69-62.
First Half: Smith Leads
Smith led the Gators in points in the first half. She put up 18 of the 32 first half points for the Gators.
The second-highest point-scorer for the Gators in the first half was Nina Rickards with five points.
For Kentucky, Rhyne Howard was the only player to come close to Smith’s first half stats, putting up 16 points herself.
Gators vs Wildcats Preview
As Florida advances in the SEC tournament, they prepare to face a tough-to-beat Kentucky. The Wildcats earned the No. 5 seed in the tournament after finishing (9-6) in conference play.
The Wildcats are averaging 73.4 points per game this season, making 43.3 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from the three. They are limiting their opponents to an average of 65.3 points per game.
On the other hand, the Gators are averaging 73.3 points per game while allowing their opponents to score an average of 70 points.
Florida is averaging 27.1 from the field goal range while shooting .316 from behind the arch.
Florida Guard Kiki Smith drives past Kentucky Gurad. (photo courtesy of Florida Gators Women’s Basketball Instagram)
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Regular Season
The Gators ended its regular season at home for the first time since the 2016-17 season. Florida put up a fight against the No. 17 Georgia Bulldogs on Sunday but was unable to stop their offense which shot 71 percent in the second half. The Gators saw four double-figure scorers including freshmen, Jordyn Meritt and Floor Toonders, who both finished with a career-high 16 points apiece.
The Gators hold a 21-40 record in the SEC Tournament and have gone 3-3 in the first round. Last season Florida had a bye in the first round for the first time in four years but were unable to advance past the No. 7 seed LSU falling 73-59 in the second round. The Gators enter play with a 10-12 overall record, going 3-11 in the conference.
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