{"id":176404,"date":"2026-03-03T15:27:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T15:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/176404\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T15:27:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T15:27:08","slug":"mississippi-state-up-first-in-gators-quest-for-sec-tourney-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/176404\/","title":{"rendered":"Mississippi State Up First In Gators’ Quest for SEC Tourney Title"},"content":{"rendered":"

GREENVILLE, S.C. \u2014 The madness begins in earnest this week as the Florida Women’s Basketball Team sets its collective sights on an SEC Tournament title, and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Gators’ quest begins Wednesday, March 4 with a 1:30 p.m. EST tip against 13-seed Mississippi State at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
\n\u00a0
\nFlorida earned the 12 seed in the conference tournament after winning four of its final seven games of the regular season, including a 74-67 victory over No\/ 19\/20 Ole Miss. The Gators’ three losses down the stretch all came against top-25 competition \u2014 81-74 at No. 10\/10 Oklahoma, 76-71 vs. No. 25\/24 Alabama and 71-58 at No. 23\/24 Georgia.
\n\u00a0
\nSophomore Liv McGill<\/a> is averaging 22.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists on the season, and is in the running for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year award. The SEC is announcing its All-SEC Teams on Tuesday, March 3, and should McGill make the First Team, she would be the first member of the Gators to earn that honor since Kiara Smith picked up a first-team nod in the 2021-22 season.
\n\u00a0
\nMe’Arah O’Neal<\/a> is averaging 12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds against SEC opponents, while connecting on 53.1 percent of her field goal attempts and 41.5 percent from beyond the arc. Laila Reynolds<\/a> is the other member of Florida’s “Big “Three,” and she is averaging 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.38 steals in conference play.
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\nMississippi State lost four straight to close out the regular season as the Bulldogs look to make the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and third time in four years.
\n\u00a0
\nUnder Head Coach Sam Purcell’s tutelage, Mississippi State has one of the most balanced offensive scoring attacks in the league with seven players averaging between 8.3 and 13.4 points per game led by freshman forward Madison Francis. Against conference competition, the team’s top six scorers average between 6.3 and 13.6 points.
\n\u00a0
\nFavour Nwaedozi and Francis rank fourth and seventh in the SEC against conference opponents in rebounds per game at 9.4 and 8.2 respectively, and Francis is blocking 2.44 shots per game against conference foes which is the second highest average in the SEC.
\n\u00a0
\nThe Bulldogs struggle offensively and defensively beyond the arc connecting on 28.6 percent of their shots from distance against conference opponents (14th in the SEC), and allow league foes to make 34.9 percent of their three balls (16th).
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\nThe Gators are 29-28 all-time against the Bulldogs, and have won three straight games in the series including a 71-56 road win on Feb. 19 of this year. Florida led by 10 at the end of the first quarter, and never trailed after that. Liv McGill<\/a> scored a game-high 30 points, while Laila Reynolds<\/a> added 19, and Me’Arah O’Neal<\/a> chipped in 10.
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\nMISSISSIPPI STATE (18-12, 5-11)<\/p>\n

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


\n\tImprove the Gators’ record to 18-14 overall on the year
\n\tImprove Florida’s SEC Tournament record to 6-4 in the Kelly Rae Finley<\/a> era.
\n\tImprove the Gator’s record to 30-28 all-time against Mississippi State, and be the team’s fourth straight victory in the series.
\n\tImprove Florida’s record to 3-0 on neutral courts this season. <\/p>\n

TALE OF THE TAPE<\/p>\n


\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFlorida
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tMississippi St.
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t73.1
\n\t\t\tPPG
\n\t\t\t75.1
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t66.3
\n\t\t\tOPP PPG
\n\t\t\t66.5
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t+6.9
\n\t\t\tSCORING MARGIN
\n\t\t\t+8.6
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t44.9
\n\t\t\tFG %
\n\t\t\t44.2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t40.2
\n\t\t\tOPP FG%
\n\t\t\t40.3
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t28.6
\n\t\t\t3 FG%
\n\t\t\t32.0
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t30.0
\n\t\t\tOPP 3 FG%
\n\t\t\t32.3
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t5.3
\n\t\t\t3FG\/G
\n\t\t\t5.9
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t69.6
\n\t\t\tFT %
\n\t\t\t72.9
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t37.5
\n\t\t\tREBOUNDS\/G
\n\t\t\t42.0
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t36.3
\n\t\t\tOPP REBOUNDS\/G
\n\t\t\t33.4
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t+1.3
\n\t\t\tREB MARGIN
\n\t\t\t+8.7
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t13.3
\n\t\t\tASSISTS\/G
\n\t\t\t14.1
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t16.7
\n\t\t\tTURNOVER\/G
\n\t\t\t15.5
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t+0.79
\n\t\t\tA\/TO RATIO
\n\t\t\t+0.91
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t9.5
\n\t\t\tSTEALS\/G
\n\t\t\t8.2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t3.84
\n\t\t\tBLOCKS\/G
\n\t\t\t4.70
\n\t\t
\n\t <\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nPROJECTED FLORIDA STARTERS<\/p>\n

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


\n\tDuring the regular season, Florida ranked \u2026 12th in the SEC in points per game (73.2) \u2026 10th in scoring defense (66.3) \u2026 12th in scoring margin (+6.87) \u2026 seventh in field goal percentage (.449) \u2026 9th in field goal percentage defense (.402) \u2026 14th in three-point field goal percentage (.286) \u2026 seventh in three-point field goal percentage defense (.300) \u2026 13th in free throw percentage (.696) \u2026 10th in offensive rebound percentage (.341) \u2026 13th in defensive rebound percentage (.664) \u2026 12th in assists (13.3) \u2026 eighth in steals (9.45) \u2026 10th in blocked shots (3.84).
\n\tIn SEC games, Florida is tied for 10th in scoring (68.8) \u2026 12th in scoring defense (73.8) \u2026 \u00a0fifth in field goal percentage (.439) \u2026 ninth in field goal percentage defense (.437) \u2026 seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.317) \u2026 and 10th in three-point field goal percentage defense (.322).
\n\tThe Gators have held 19 of 31 opponents below 70 points this season, and nine opponents below 60 points.
\n\tFlorida is 31st in the nation in free throws made per game (14.7), and 27th in free throw attempts per game (21.1) through games of Sunday, Mar. 1.
\n\tFlorida’s NET rating, which helps determine which teams make the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, is No. 50 through games of Sunday, Mar. 1.
\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 20th place<\/a> with 1,258 career points.
\n\tLiv McGill<\/a> was named to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Mid-Season List along with Kentucky’s Tonie Morgan, NC State’s Zoe Brooks, Nebraska’s Britt Prince, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez, South Carolina’s Raven Johnson, TCU’s Olivia Miles, Texas’ Rori Harmon, and UCLA’s Kiki Rice.
\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 15 games with 25-5-5-5. <\/p>\n

PROJECTED MISSISSIPPI STATE 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\tTrayanna Crisp
\n\t\t\t4
\n\t\t\t5-8
\n\t\t\tG
\n\t\t\tSr.
\n\t\t\tGoodyear, Ariz. \/ North Carolina, Arizona State
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tJaylah Lampley
\n\t\t\t10
\n\t\t\t6-1
\n\t\t\tG
\n\t\t\tFr.
\n\t\t\tFishers, Ind. \/
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFavour Nwaedozi
\n\t\t\t25
\n\t\t\t6-3
\n\t\t\tF
\n\t\t\tJr.
\n\t\t\tDelta, Nigeria \/
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tKharyssa Richardson
\n\t\t\t33
\n\t\t\t6-2
\n\t\t\tF
\n\t\t\tSr.
\n\t\t\tDouglasville, Ga. \/ Ole Miss, Auburn
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMadison Francis
\n\t\t\t40
\n\t\t\t6-2
\n\t\t\tF
\n\t\t\tFr.
\n\t\t\tLancaster, N.Y. \/
\n\t\t
\n\t <\/p>\n

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


\n\tMembers of the media tabbed Mississippi State to finish 10th in the SEC this season, while the coaches picked the Bulldogs to finish 12th.
\n\tMississippi State has won 20 or more games in each of the past three seasons, and made two trips to the NCAA Tournament as a nine seed (2024-25) and an 11 seed (2022-23)
\n\tThe Bulldogs went 13-1 in non-conference play with the team’s lone loss coming at Texas Tech (69-62).
\n\tMississippi State is the fourth best defensive rebounding team in the SEC against conference competition (.719 DReb%), and the seventh best offensive rebounding team (.337 OReb%).
\n\tThe Bulldogs are ranked 14th in the conference against SEC opponents in three-point field goal percentage (.386), and 16th in three-point field goal percentage defense (.349)
\n\tThe Bulldogs have one of the most balanced offensive scoring attacks in the league with seven players averaging between 8.3 and 13.4 points per game led by freshman forward Madison Francis. Against conference competition, the team’s top six scorers average between 6.3 and 13.6 points.
\n\tFavour Nwaedozi and Madison Francis rank fourth and seventh in the SEC against conference opponents in rebounds per game at 9.4 and 8.2 respectively.
\n\tMadison Francis is blocking 2.44 shots per game against conference foes which is the second highest average in the SEC. <\/p>\n

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