Shocker: Lamar Jackson lead Baltimore Ravens loses to a Semi Pro team out of South Florida on Thursday night football.

UF WBK: Late Push by Gators Falls Short at George Mason
Kiara Smith led the Gators in her homecoming matchup with 19 points.

FAIRFAX, Va. - Florida women's basketball made a late push at George Mason on Wednesday evening, but wasn't able to overcome an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit, falling to the Patriots, 75-71.

In her homecoming matchup, Kiara Smith led the Gators (6-3, 0-0 SEC) with 19 points and six assists while Lavender Briggs contributed 15 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Jordyn Merritt and Nina Rickards were also in double-digit scoring at 12 and 10, respectively.

Briggs' double-double marked the 12th of her career, helping the Gators to a 40-38 rebounding advantage over the Patriots (6-3, 0-0 A10). The Gators also outscored GMU in the paint, 34-24. For the game, Florida shot 29-of-68 (42.6%) while the Patriots shot 25-of-55 (45.5%), including eight triples.

Both teams took care of the ball on Wednesday, with the Gators only recording 13 turnovers and George Mason ending with 14. The opposition did hold a 16-10 advantage in points off of turnovers, however.

The Gators wasted no time establishing a presence on the offensive end of the court, opening up the game on an 11-3 run. Briggs led the charge during the run, collecting four early points while Smith connected on a deep three to further increase the lead.

George Mason would battle back with a 6-0 run of their own, pulling to within 11-9 with 2:14 on the clock. Florida would respond with back-to-back layups from Smith and Merritt, but a last second three-pointer from the Patriots' Jordan Wakefield would close the gap to 15-12 at the end of one.

In similar fashion to the first quarter, the Orange & Blue used a strong offensive start to open-up a 22-15 lead following an Alberte Rimdal triple. George Mason would get hot from the field, utilizing an 8-0 run in just over a minute to take a 23-22 lead over the Gators. After an exchange of buckets, the opposition would put together a quick 5-0 spurt to take a 33-29 lead into the break.

The three-point line was an important theme in the Gators' success or struggles, holding the Patriots to just 1-of-6 from behind the line in the opening frame, but allowing a 3-of-5 effort in the second quarter. A consistent positive for UF, Briggs matched a career-best effort with two blocks during the first half.

The Gators found themselves in a battle into the third quarter, closing a five-point gap to just one after a Smith layup with 7:10 remaining. The Patriots would push their lead back up to four following a three of their own, but strong defense would help the Gators to a 6-0 run, capped off by a Smith steal and Rickards lay-in to give UF their first lead of the half at 41-39.

Holding the lead at 45-44 with 2:40 remaining, George Mason would regain the lead at 49-45 following a 6-0 outburst of their own in less than a minute. A Briggs jumper would end the run help pull the Gators within two, but the opposition would hold a 51-48 lead with one remaining.

George Mason extended their lead to seven early in the fourth following a Tamia Lawhorne three-pointer, but Merritt would answer with a layup after battling for two-straight offensive rebounds. The Patriots would again push their advantage back to eight, but Smith would spark an offensive spurt, scoring five quick points to trim the lead down to three with 4:28 on the clock.

Florida would make things interesting after falling behind by eight at the 2:19 mark, pulling back to within one with 1:05 remaining thanks to a Briggs triple and two freebies from Rickards. The comeback would fall just short, however, with the Patriots earning a 75-71 victory.

The Gators are back in action on Sunday, Dec. 5 when they travel to Dallas for a Big XII/SEC matchup with Texas Christian.

Postgame Bites
- George Mason's victory evened the all-time series to one-a-piece.
- Briggs now sits at 898 points, just 102 away from joining the 1,000-point club.
- Smith now boasts 1178 career points, 332 assists and 172 career steals.
- 172 steals moves Smith to 14th in school history.

I need to stop sleeping in the day time.

What better way for us to get to each other than some bourbon talk. Lets see some pics and talk recent finds, favorites etc. BOURBON

I've heard stories here and there, but for whatever reason Florida has been unable to get their foot in the door at IMG, let alone land a recruit from there. Does that finally change with Napier? What are your thoughts? @JasonHigdon @Heisman Gator 1 @Celtics99 @xxpuffgatorxx @AceWade1 @TCNELLY84

As head coach per football scoop. Note Dame OC Rees also sticking around.

Thoughts of the Day: December 1, 2021​

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning:

GATORS FACE A REAL TEST AT OKLAHOMA TONIGHT

The last time Mike White and the Florida Gators crossed paths with Porter Moser was December 6, 2017 at the O-Dome. Moser was coaching Loyola of Chicago and the Gators were flying high at No. 5 in the nation although they had lost two straight games to No. 1 Duke and Florida State. Moser and the Ramblers shut down Florida’s high scoring offense that night and the Gators had all sorts of problems dealing with freshman Cameron Krutwig. The Gators never recovered from that 65-59 loss to Loyola although they did make the NCAA Tournament. Loyola went on to make the NCAA Final Four where they lost in the semifinals to Michigan.



Moser has changed locales, but his Oklahoma Sooners (6-1) seem like a carbon copy of his teams at Loyola. White is still Florida’s coach, but the 14th-ranked Gators (6-0) play the game quite differently than the team Moser faced back in 2017. That Florida team had to shoot great every night or couldn’t win. The calling card for this latest Florida team is defense. The Gators get after people like no Florida team since Billy Donovan coached the Gators on a 30-game win streak to the 2014 Final Four.



When Oklahoma and the Gators square off tonight in Norman (8 p.m., Bally Sports Sun TV), it will be an even tougher test than Ohio State was last week because this will be Florida’s first road game outside the state of Florida and first time playing in a hostile arena. Not only will the Gators have to contend with the Oklahoma crowd, but they will have to shut down a very good shooting team (50.1 percent) that rebounds the basketball very, very well. Oklahoma is tall and very physical. If the Sooners have an advantage it is their size which means the Gators cannot afford foul trouble, particularly to Colin Castleton (14.8 points, 10 rebounds), who will be charged with defending 6-10, 235-pound Eastern Washington transfer Tanner Groves (14.6 points, 6.3 rebounds).



The advantage for the Gators is in the quickness department. The Gators run a 2-2-1 full court press about 80 percent of the time, dropping into a tight man-to-man that is designed to force opponents to set up their offense late in the shot clock and 3-4 feet further out than they are comfortable. The effectiveness is shown in opponents’ 3-point shooting. After holding Troy to a 2-16 game Sunday afternoon, the Gators are now holding opponents to 25 percent from the 3-point line. The Gators rank 10th nationally in the KenPom.com defensive efficiency analytics.



Quick basketball note: Florida’s 71-68 win over Ohio State last week looks even better after the Buckeyes knocked off No. 1 Duke (6-1) Tuesday night.



SIX NAMES THAT MIGHT BE ON BILLY NAPIER’S RADAR

Tom Herman, Analyst, Chicago Bears: He’s set for life financially with his buyout money from Texas. When he was Urban Meyer’s OC at Ohio State, the Buckeyes won the 2014 national championship, averaging 511 yards and nearly 45 points per game. Florida winters are far more palatable than those in Chicago and being an OC in the SEC beats being an analyst in the NFL.

Willy Korn, Co-OC, Coastal Carolina: When he played quarterback at Clemson, his coach was Billy Napier. He’s spent his entire coaching career working for Jamey Chadwell, first at Charleston Southern and then at Coastal Carolina. Chadwell’s offense is innovative, balanced and explosive. He’s 32 years old and thought to have a brilliant coaching future. If there is a question it is that he’s never coached or recruited in the SEC.

Brent Key, OL, Georgia Tech: It’s assumed by many that Rob Sale will leave the Philadelphia Eagles to reunited with Napier at Florida, but if that doesn’t happen Key would be a rather nice choice to coach the UF O-line. If he stays at Georgia Tech he could find himself unemployed next year because Geoff Collins’ seat is blowtorch hot. Key and Napier were assistants on Nick Saban’s staff in 2016.

Doug Belk, DC, Houston: No surprise here. Belk has had his name mentioned as the next Florida defensive coordinator dating back to Dan Mullen firing Todd Grantham. Belk is a Valdosta native whose Houston defense ranks sixth nationally (289.9 yards per game), fourth in sacks (41) and eighth in rushing defense (98.33). Belk was a graduate assistant for Nick Saban at Alabama while Napier was the wide receivers coach. It is widely assumed that Belk wants the Florida job. Houston plays Cincinnati for the American Athletic Conference championship Saturday.

Tosh Lupoi, DL, Jacksonville Jaguars: He is a lights out recruiter and a rather good position coach. He worked with Napier on the Alabama staff from 2014-16 (first two years as an analyst, 2016 as OLB), and became the co-defensive coordinator (with Jeremy Pruitt) in 2017 when Alabama’s defense was No. 1 nationally. He shared the coordinator job with current Alabama DC Pete Golding in 2018 but left for the NFL after the Tide gave up 106 points in the last three games including 44 in the national championship game loss to Clemson. Would he come to UF in a non-coordinator role? As the D-line coach or linebackers? The Jags aren’t going anywhere this year so he could be available in a hurry.

Derrick Ansley, DB, Los Angeles Chargers: He was on the staff with Napier at Alabama in 2016. He was the defensive coordinator at Tennessee working for Jeremy Pruitt in 2019-20. It’s doubtful Napier would bring him on as the coordinator, but his DBs at Alabama in 2016-17 intercepted 35 passes. The Chargers could be in the playoff hunt so that could work against him if he had an interest in returning to the college game.



SEC BASKETBALL Tuesday’s scores: No. 13 Tennessee (5-1) 86, Presbyterian (5-3) 44; Texas A&M (7-1) 85, New Orleans (3-5) 65; Ole Miss (5-2) 75, Rider (3-5) 51

Wednesday’s games: NO. 14 FLORIDA (6-0) at Oklahoma (6-1); South Carolina (5-1) at Coastal Carolina (2-2); No. 18 Memphis (5-1) at Georgia (2-5); Central Arkansas (1-6) at No. 10 Arkansas (6-0); UCF (4-1) at No. 21 Auburn (5-1); Ohio (5-1) at LSU (7-0)



MICHIGAN TO NO. 2 IN LATEST PLAYOFF POLL

Everything is primed for Jim Harbaugh to make his first College Football Playoff. He’s finally beaten Ohio State to make his first Big Ten Championship Game. The win over Ohio State moved Michigan up three spots to No. 2 in the latest College Football Playoff poll. Now, all Harbaugh has to do is beat No. 13 Iowa (10-2) and Michigan will have its first Big Ten championship since 2004.



Of the current top four in the poll – No. 1 Georgia, 2. Michigan, 3. Alabama and 4. Cincinnati – only Georgia can feel really good right now. Win or lose against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and Georgia will make the final four. If Michigan and Alabama win Saturday, they’ll be in the playoff. Lose and they’re out. Cincinnati could win against Houston in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game and still be leapfrogged by No. 5 Oklahoma State (11-1), which faces No. 9 Baylor (10-2) in the Big 12 Championship Game.



And here is a scenario that is an absolute nightmare. Alabama beats Georgia, Michigan and Cincinnati lose, and Oklahoma State wins. Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma State would be in, but the fourth team? Notre Dame (11-1) doesn’t play a conference championship game and the Irish have lost HBC Brian Kelly to LSU. Per the process the CFP selection committee uses, not having Kelly could factor in the decision. From the CFP website: “Other relevant factors such as unavailability of key players and coaches that may have affected a team’s performance during the season or likely will affect its postseason performance.” That could cost the Irish.



The latest poll also marks the debut of Billy Napier-coached Louisiana at No. 24. The Ragin Cajuns play unranked Appalachian State for the Sun Belt Conference championship Saturday.



The College Football Playoff poll, week four: 1. Georgia 12-0; 2. Michigan 11-1; 3. Alabama 11-1; 4. Cincinnati 12-0; 5. Oklahoma State 11-1; 6. Notre Dame 11-1; 7. Ohio State 10-2; 8. Ole Miss 10-2; 9. Baylor 10-2; 10. Oregon 10-2; 11. Michigan State 10-2; 12. BYU 10-2; 13. Iowa 10-2; 14. Oklahoma 10-2; 15. Pittsburgh 10-2; 16. Wake Forest 10-2; 17. Utah 9-3; 18. North Carolina State 9-3; 19. San Diego State 11-1; 20. Clemson 9-3; 21. Houston 11-1; 22. Arkansas 8-4; 23. Kentucky 9-3; 24. Louisiana 11-1; 25. Texas A&M 8-4



OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama (11-1, 7-1 SEC): Offensive lineman Pierce Quick and linebacker Jackson Bratton, a pair of sophomores, have placed their names in the transfer portal.

Arkansas (8-4, 4-4 SEC): Defensive lineman Solomon Wright and running back Josh Oglesby are now in the transfer portal.

Auburn (6-6, 3-5 SEC): Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has been fired … A number of Tigers have entered the transfer portal – running back Shaun Shivers, wide receiver Elijah Canion, defensive end Caleb Johnson, offensive lineman Tashawn Manning and defensive back Ladarius Tennison.

Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC): A number of Bulldogs are questionable for the SEC Championship Game with Alabama: Left tackle Jamaree Salyar (foot), running back Kendall Milton (MCL sprain), wide receiver Kearis Jackson (ribs) and safety Chris Smith (bone bruise).

Kentucky (9-3, 5-3 SEC): Kentucky has extended HBC Mark Stoops through the 2027 season with a contract that is expected to bump his salary to somewhere in the $7 million range. Stoops made a base of $5.25 million but will make more than $1 million in incentive bonuses. Stoops was being linked to open jobs at Oklahoma and Notre Dame … Linebacker Jared Casey and running back Travis Tisdale have placed their names in the transfer portal.

LSU (6-6, 3-5 SEC): New head coach Brian Kelly is offering substantial raises to his coordinators at Notre Dame (DC Marcus Freeman, OC Tommy Rees) to join him at LSU. Per one report, Rees has been offered a $400,000 pay increase.

Mississippi State (7-5, 4-4 SEC): Either the Texas Bowl or Liberty Bowl seem the likely destinations for the Bulldogs.

Missouri (6-6, 3-5 SEC): Entering the transfer portal are tight ends Daniel Parker Jr. and Messiah Swinson and defensive backs Ish Burdine and Chris Shearin.

Ole Miss (10-2, 6-2 SEC): Quarterback Matt Corral will not be opting out of the bowl game. “If I’m healthy I’m playing,” Corral said … Linebacker MoMo Sanogo is now in the transfer portal.

South Carolina (6-6, 3-5 SEC): Wide receiver Ger-cari Caldwell is entering the transfer portal. He has four years of eligibility remaining.

Tennessee (7-5, 4-4 SEC): There are serious concerns that HBC Josh Heupel could leave for Oklahoma if the job is offered.

Vanderbilt (2-10, 0-8 SEC): CB Allan George announced he will declare for the NFL … Wide receiver Cam Johnson (34-327, 4 TDs) has entered the transfer portal as have safety Brendon Harris and corner Gabe Jeudy-Lally. Harris has two years of eligibility while Jeudy-Lally has three.



ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Brian Kelly is a fine football coach, no doubt about it. He won two Division II national titles at Grand Valley State, resuscitated the program at Central Michigan, had an undefeated regular season (12-0) at Cincinnati and he’s the winningest coach in Notre Dame history. LSU thinks he’s worth a 10-year contract worth $100 million. Saban money. Maybe he will have Saban-like success in Baton Rouge, but I have to wonder if money is that important to him because it’s not out of the question that Notre Dame could squeeze into the final four and make the College Football Playoff. Kelly’s compensation package at Notre Dame was in the neighborhood of $7 million a year. He could have asked for and received a lengthy contract extension if he had wanted in South Bend. I know football is a business and Kelly made a business decision, but is $3 million more a year and a 10-year deal worth walking out on your team when a shot at the national championship could be on the table?

We are a point ROAD favorite.

GO GATORS!!

I have seen Swamp’s coaching list post(which is great btw). I haven’t really seen a list for QB coach, does BN do that himself? Does anyone know if Korn is heavily involved in qb coaching at CC? Any other ideas?

Seems to be well thought of, comes from the Wisconsin defensive coaching tree, worked with Aranda. "Doing a lot with less talent", "good scheme, play sound, solid defense". "The Wisconsin scheme".

Go to the 22:15 mark and watch the next 5 minutes.

If we get Napier, I would assume he'd bring Toney. Could solidify the defensive side of the ball, leaving the OC as the big hire to be focused on.

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Anyone have ideas? YouTube TV does not have the channel unless you have additional sports package. Cable doesn’t have it either.

And then can see the game

Wednesday's game airs on Bally Sports Sun in North and Central Florida and Bally Sports Florida in South Florida, as well as a range of other Bally Sports channels across the country.

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I know Napes was his recruiter at Bama so there is some familiarity there

I'm sure there's a thread somewhere but...

Brewster and C Rob only coaches being kept.

I heard lol

And I am not trying to humble brag about my single follower, in fact I wonder if that guy is Ok or a fed..anyway...what is the "follow" concept on this site? I know I told you guys earlier I am basically a low IQ boomer when it comes to tech stuff but I do understand the following concept on social media so we aren't starting on ground zero here..just curious what point of it/what does it do on this site?

I am very impressed with the information coming forth from Jason and his crew, I've heard very good things regarding his work from "The Iron Cross", that being said, something special is brewing in Gainesville with our basketball team. Beat the damn sooners

With Nick Evers and family.

So looks like ULL, Houston, and Sec chip are all basically going to be on at the same time.

Are people more interested in our head coach, likely our dc or bama v jawja?

or is everyone going to wear out their remote batteries (like me) flipping between all three?