{"id":458010,"date":"2026-02-04T14:46:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T14:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/458010\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T14:46:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T14:46:08","slug":"thursday-rematch-with-auburn-up-next-for-womens-basketball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/458010\/","title":{"rendered":"Thursday Rematch with Auburn Up Next for Women’s Basketball"},"content":{"rendered":"

GAINESVILLE, Fla. \u2014 The Florida Women’s Basketball Team returns to Gainesville this week for a pair of home games beginning with a Thursday, Feb. 5 meeting with the Auburn Tigers (13-10, 2-7). Tip at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center is slated for 7 p.m. EST, and the game is being broadcast on SECN+.
\n\u00a0
\nThe Gators (13-7, 1-8) recently went through what is arguably the most challenging seven-day stretch of basketball in NCAA history as they played three top-six teams in the span of a week. Three of their next four games are against teams with losing records in the SEC, and each of those contests is at home, providing Florida with an ideal opportunity to climb the league standings as tournament time approaches.
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\nDespite the difficulty of the Gators’ recent schedule, they still rank seventh in the SEC in field goal percentage against conference opponents (.435), and seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.321). Their Achilles Heel has come in the turnover department where Florida is averaging 17.7 per game, and allowing SEC opponents to score an average of 20.4 points per game off of those miscues.
\n\u00a0
\nLiv McGill<\/a> leads a trio of double figure scorers for the Gators scoring at a 22.5 points per game clip. Me’Arah O’Neal<\/a> is averaging 14.0 points and 6.8 rebounds, while Laila Reynolds<\/a> chips in 12.6 points per game.
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\nMcGill now has 1,106 points in her collegiate career, and is 24th on the Gators career scoring chart<\/a>, 18 points behind Bernice Mosby ’05. On Monday, Feb. 2, The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced that McGill is one of 10 candidates currently in the running for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award. The sophomore is averaging 22.5 points, 5.9 assists and 2.82 steals per game this year, while the other nine players on the list are averaging a collective 16.1 points, 5.7 assists and 2.11 steals.
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\nAuburn went 11-3 during non-conference play, but is 2-7 in the SEC this year with wins over the Gators and Alabama. The Tigers have dropped four straight, and are being outscored in conference games by an average of 19.7 points per contest. League opponents are making 47.6 percent of their field goal attempts against Auburn, while holding the Tigers to 35.7 percent, including 23.1 percent from three-point range.
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\nAuburn ranks second in the SEC in steals per game, averaging 10.11 steals per contest, while guard Kaitlyn Duhon is third in the SEC and 14th in the nation in steals averaging 3.17 spg. Freshman Guard Harissoum Coulibaly is Auburn’s only double-digit scorer on the season, averaging 11.0 points per game. Five other Tigers average between seven and 10 points, and Auburn’s roster goes 10 deep with 10 of 12 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game
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\nFlorida is 27-41* all-time against Auburn, including 13-13 at home. The Tigers picked up a 60-50 win against the Gators less than a month ago in Auburn. Florida was held to 38.0 percent shooting from the field, and the Tigers turned 19 Gators miscues into 25 points in the decision.
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\n* Auburn lists the all-time series at 27-42. This includes a game played in 1973-74 before Florida’s recorded history.
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\nAUBURN (13-10, 2-7)<\/p>\n


\n\tDate: Thursday, Feb. 5
\n\tTime: 7 p.m. EST
\n\tSite: Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Fla.
\n\tListen: WRUF 98.1 FM \/ 850 AM<\/a>
\n\tWatch: SECN+<\/a>
\n\tLive stats: LiveStats<\/a> <\/p>\n

A FLORIDA WIN WOULD \u2026<\/p>\n


\n\tImprove the Gators’ record to 14-10 on the year, and 2-7 in the SEC.
\n\tImprove Florida’s record to 11-4 at home this season.
\n\tImprove the Gators’ record to 28-41 vs. Auburn.
\n\tPotentially move the Gators past Texas A&M and Auburn into 13th place in the SEC standings <\/p>\n

TALE OF THE TAPE<\/p>\n


\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFlorida
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tAuburn
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t74.3
\n\t\t\tPPG
\n\t\t\t61.3
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t65.9
\n\t\t\tOPP PPG
\n\t\t\t61.1
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t+8.4
\n\t\t\tSCORING MARGIN
\n\t\t\t+0.2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t45.1
\n\t\t\tFG %
\n\t\t\t40.2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t39.9
\n\t\t\tOPP FG%
\n\t\t\t40.3
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t28.0
\n\t\t\t3 FG%
\n\t\t\t28.9
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t28.5
\n\t\t\tOPP 3 FG%
\n\t\t\t29.4
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t5.3
\n\t\t\t3FG\/G
\n\t\t\t4.7
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t70.5
\n\t\t\tFT %
\n\t\t\t70.2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t38.3
\n\t\t\tREBOUNDS\/G
\n\t\t\t32.1
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t36.4
\n\t\t\tOPP REBOUNDS\/G
\n\t\t\t36.8
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t+1.9
\n\t\t\tREB MARGIN
\n\t\t\t-4.7
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t13.5
\n\t\t\tASSISTS\/G
\n\t\t\t9.4
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t17.0
\n\t\t\tTURNOVER\/G
\n\t\t\t16.8
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t+0.80
\n\t\t\tA\/TO RATIO
\n\t\t\t+0.57
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t9.8
\n\t\t\tSTEALS\/G
\n\t\t\t11.3
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t4.17
\n\t\t\tBLOCKS\/G
\n\t\t\t3.13
\n\t\t
\n\t <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

PROJECTED FLORIDA STARTERS
\n \n<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nGATOR BITES<\/p>\n


\n\tThrough games of Wednesday, Feb. 4, Florida is \u2026 12th in the SEC this season in points per game (74.3) \u2026 13th in scoring defense (65.9) \u2026 12th in scoring margin (+8.4) \u2026 8th in field goal percentage (.451) \u2026 11th in field goal percentage defense (.399) \u2026 14th in three-point field goal percentage (.280) \u2026 6th in three-point field goal percentage defense (.285) \u2026 11th in free throw percentage (.705) \u2026 9th in offensive rebound percentage (.356) \u2026 15th in defensive rebound percentage (.658) \u2026 12th in assists (13.5) \u2026 9th in steals (9.83) \u2026 10th in blocked shots (4.17).
\n\tIn SEC games, Florida is ranked 11th in scoring (68.4), tied for 12th in scoring defense (78.7), seventh in field goal percentage (.435), 12th in field goal percentage defense (.454), seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.321), and sixth in three-point field goal percentage defense (.304).
\n\tThe Gators have held 15 of 23 opponents below 70 points this season.
\n\tFlorida is tied for 45th in the nation in free throws made per game (14.5), and 41st in free throw attempts per game (20.6) through games of Monday, Feb. 2.
\n\tFlorida’s NET rating, which helps determine which teams make the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, is No. 55 through games of Tuesday, Feb. 3.
\n\tLiv McGill<\/a> became the 28th player in Florida Women’s Basketball history to score 1,000 points in her career when she connected on a free throw line jumper in the second quarter, Jan. 11 at Auburn. She is now in 24th place<\/a> with 1,106 career points,18 points behind Bernice Mosby in 23rd with 1,124.
\n\tLiv McGIll was named to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Mid-Season List<\/a> on Feb. 2
\n\tLiv McGill<\/a> and Me’Arah O’Neal<\/a> have each earned SEC Player of the Week honors this season.
\n\tLiv McGill<\/a> became the first player in Gators women’s basketball history to be named a US Basketball Writers Association National Player of the Week<\/a> on Tuesday, Nov. 11. She averaged 27.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 5.00 steals while connecting on 40.9 percent of her three-point field goal attempts in Florida’s three wins. She also was named the SEC Player of the Week for her performance during that same stretch of games.
\n\tLiv McGill<\/a> was named the most outstanding player<\/a> of the Grand Cayman Classic over Thanksgiving weekend when she averaged 27.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.00 steals and 1.00 blocked shots.
\n\tLiv McGill<\/a> has three games this season of at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals. The other 4,500-+ players competing in women’s basketball at the Division I level have ten 25-5-5-5 games. <\/p>\n

PROJECTED AUBURN STARTERS <\/p>\n


\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tNo.
\n\t\t\tHt.
\n\t\t\tPos.
\n\t\t\tClass
\n\t\t\tHometown \/ Previous Schools
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tJa’Mia Harris
\n\t\t\t2
\n\t\t\t5-11
\n\t\t\tG
\n\t\t\tJr.
\n\t\t\tDallas, Texas \/ Texas State
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tHarrisoum Coulibaly
\n\t\t\t3
\n\t\t\t5-10
\n\t\t\tG
\n\t\t\tFr.
\n\t\t\tParis, France \/
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tKaitlyn Duhon
\n\t\t\t4
\n\t\t\t5-10
\n\t\t\tG
\n\t\t\tR-Jr.
\n\t\t\tHouston, Texas \/
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tKhady Leye
\n\t\t\t6
\n\t\t\t6-2
\n\t\t\tF
\n\t\t\tSo.
\n\t\t\tLouga, Senegal \/
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tA’riel Jackson
\n\t\t\t7
\n\t\t\t5-9
\n\t\t\tG
\n\t\t\tSr.
\n\t\t\tBrooklyn, N.Y. \/ Cincinnati
\n\t\t
\n\t <\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nTIGERS QUICK HITS<\/p>\n


\n\tMembers of the media and conference coaches tabbed Auburn to finish 15th in the SEC this season.
\n\tThe Tigers last made the NCAA Tournament in 2024 when the finished the season 20-12, including an 8-8 mark in conference.
\n\tHead Coach Larry Vickers, who is in his first season with Auburn, made the NCAAs in each of his last three seasons at the helm of Norfolk State. During those three years, the Spartans went a combined 83-18 including a 30-5 campaign in 2024-25.
\n\tAuburn averages an SEC-low 62.4 points per game on the season while connecting on 40.2 percent of its field goal attempts (14th in the league), and 28.9 percent of its three-pointers (13th). In conference play, those figures fall to 53.0 points per game (16th), 35.7 percent from the field (15th) and 23.1 percent from distance (16th).
\n\tDefensively, the Tigers are eighth in the league in scoring defense (61.1 ppg), 12th in field goal percentage defense (.403), and ninth in three-point field goal percentage defense (.294). In SEC competition, those numbers increase to 72.7 points per game (11th), 47.6 percent field goal percentage allowed (16th), and 30.9 percent allowed from beyond the arc (7th).
\n\tAuburn’s most impressive statistical ranking is its 10.11 steals per game in SEC games which ranks second on the conference.
\n\tGuard Kaitlyn Duhon is third in the SEC and 14th in the nation in steals averaging 3.17 spg.
\n\tFreshman Guard Harissoum Coulibaly is Auburn’s only double-digit scorer on the season, averaging 11.0 points per game. Five other Tigers average between seven and 10 points. <\/p>\n

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