Florida to Honor Four Seniors Against Missouri on Sunday
Zippy Broughton, Emanuely de Oliveira, Kristina Moore and Kiara Smith will go through the senior ceremony on Sunday.
#15/21 Florida (20-8, 10-5 SEC) vs. Missouri (17-11, 6-9 SEC)
Game Information: Feb. 27 | 12 p.m. ET
Live Stream: SEC Network
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida women's basketball will honor it's four seniors on Sunday afternoon as the Gators welcome Missouri to Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center for their final regular season contest.
The game, scheduled to tip at noon ET, will be streamed live on SEC Network with Richard Cross and Nicki Fargas on the call while Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis will handle radio responsibilities on 98.1FM/850AM WRUF.
SENIOR DAY
Zippy Broughton, Emanuely de Oliveira, Kristina Moore and Kiara Smith will all be honored pregame during the senior ceremony for their contributions. The four seniors helped the Gators earned their first 20-win season since the 2015-16 season, as well as winning 10 SEC games for just the fourth time in program history.
THE SERIES
Missouri and Florida have met 11 times in program history, with the Tigers owning a 9-2 series advantage. At home, the Orange & Blue own a 1-3 record while picking up their most recent win in the all-time series at Missouri on Feb. 16, 2020, 75-67.
ENDING AT HOME
Over the last decade, the Gators have had mixed results during their regular season home finale, going 4-6 in their last 10 attempts. Florida's last victory to end their home slate came on Feb. 26, 2017 against Georgia, 65-58.
HISTORY BREWING
The Gators have a chance to earn their 11th conference victory on Sunday against the Tigers. With a victory, the Gators would tie the most SEC victories in program history and reach 11 SEC wins for just the second time as a program.
MOVIN' ON UP
After entering the top 25 for the first time since the 2015-16 season two weeks ago, the Gators continue to climb in the rankings, coming in at No. 15 in the AP poll and #21 in the Coaches poll this week. The appearance at No. 15 marks the highest ranking for the Gators since the 2008-09 season.
NAISMITH WATCHLIST
After a 20-6 (10-3 SEC) start for the Gators to the season, Kelly Rae Finley was named one of 15 finalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award. She joins Dawn Staley, Kim Mulkey and Kellie Harper as a representative from the SEC.
ELITE DEFENDER
Kiara Smith's defense has risen to an elite level during the 2021-22 season, sitting at 22nd nationally with a total of 69 steals on the year. She is also ranked 42nd in the nation in steals per game, averaging 2.46 during each outing. Those numbers are good for third and fourth in the SEC, respectively.
SMITH IN THE RECORD BOOK
Points - 14th, 1,486
Games Started - 6th, 114
Consecutive Starts - 3rd, 104
Minutes - 3rd, 4029
Free Throws Made - T5th, 334
Assists - 6th, 427
Steals - 5th, 217
20 WINS
Florida boasts 20 victories for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign when they ended 22-9. It is the fastest UF reached 20 wins since starting 20-2 during the 2008-09 season.
CONFERENCE FUN
After defeating Arkansas, Florida earned their 10th conference win of the season, marking the earliest the Gators have reached 10 wins in the SEC since the 2000-01 season when they began 10-3 in the league. Florida has also now won 10 SEC games for just the fourth time in program history. The last time UF won 10 conference matchups came during a 10-6 season in 2015-16. Six of Florida's wins have come on the road in SEC play, the most road-SEC wins for the Gators since the 2000-01 season.
FACING THE GIANTS
The Gators are now one of just ten teams in the nation to have defeated at least five top 25 teams. They join South Carolina, Michigan, Louisville, North Carolina State, Stanford and Tennessee as the only teams to have accomplished that feat.
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