TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Florida women's basketball is slated to continue Southeastern Conference play on Sunday when they travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for an afternoon matchup with the Crimson Tide.
The game will be streamed live on SEC Network+ with Roger Hoover and Richard Hendrix on the call, while Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis will handle radio responsibilities for the Gators on 98.1FM/850AM WRUF.
Sunday will mark the 63rd meeting between the Gators and Crimson Tide, with Alabama holding a 33-29 series advantage. The opposition has claimed the last two meetings, most recently defeating UF, 77-70, in Gainesville on Feb. 18, 2021. Both squads first met on Mar. 10, 1976, with Florida taking the win, 64-56.
The Gators are coming off of their second-consecutive thriller, defeating Auburn, 68-63 in the final minutes on Thursday. For the second time in as many tries, Florida had to rally, overcoming a small fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Tigers. Kiara Smith led the offensive effort with 19 points in addition to three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Alberte Rimdal and Nina Rickards each added 14 points of their own. The game was won for the Gators at the charity stripe, as UF ended 20-of-23 from the line and a perfect 8-for-8 in the final frame.
The 20-of-23 (87%) performance at the free throw against Auburn marked just the fourth time since the 2014-15 season that Florida has shot above 85% when making at least 20 free throws. The other games included: 11/25/14 - 30/33 (90.9%) vs. Charleston Southern; 11/27/15 - 23/26 (88.5%) vs. Ball State; 12/30/18 - 26/30 (86.7%) vs. Charleston Southern.
Florida's victory on Sunday gave them their 12th win of the season, already matching their win total from the 2020-21 season. It marks just the second time in the last six seasons that Florida has hit 12 victories within their first 17 games of the year.
Smith's defense has remained at an elite level during the 2021-22 season, sitting at 10th nationally with a total of 46 steals on the year. She is also ranked 31st in the nation in steals per game, averaging 2.71 during each outing. Those numbers are good for third and fourth in the SEC, respectively.
The graduate for the Gators, Smith is in a class all her own when it comes to rebounding. Smith finds herself as one of just five active point guards to have surpassed 500 rebounds, owning 545 for her career. She is joined by Haley Cavinder (Fresno State), Jennifer Coleman (Navy), Seraphine Bastin (Wichita State) and Stella Clark (Monmouth).
Alabama enters Sunday's contest boasting a 10-6 (1-4 SEC) record, most recently falling on the road at Ole Miss, 86-56. Their lone conference victory came over Auburn on Jan. 2, 2022, 56-53.
The game will be streamed live on SEC Network+ with Roger Hoover and Richard Hendrix on the call, while Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis will handle radio responsibilities for the Gators on 98.1FM/850AM WRUF.
Sunday will mark the 63rd meeting between the Gators and Crimson Tide, with Alabama holding a 33-29 series advantage. The opposition has claimed the last two meetings, most recently defeating UF, 77-70, in Gainesville on Feb. 18, 2021. Both squads first met on Mar. 10, 1976, with Florida taking the win, 64-56.
The Gators are coming off of their second-consecutive thriller, defeating Auburn, 68-63 in the final minutes on Thursday. For the second time in as many tries, Florida had to rally, overcoming a small fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Tigers. Kiara Smith led the offensive effort with 19 points in addition to three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Alberte Rimdal and Nina Rickards each added 14 points of their own. The game was won for the Gators at the charity stripe, as UF ended 20-of-23 from the line and a perfect 8-for-8 in the final frame.
The 20-of-23 (87%) performance at the free throw against Auburn marked just the fourth time since the 2014-15 season that Florida has shot above 85% when making at least 20 free throws. The other games included: 11/25/14 - 30/33 (90.9%) vs. Charleston Southern; 11/27/15 - 23/26 (88.5%) vs. Ball State; 12/30/18 - 26/30 (86.7%) vs. Charleston Southern.
Florida's victory on Sunday gave them their 12th win of the season, already matching their win total from the 2020-21 season. It marks just the second time in the last six seasons that Florida has hit 12 victories within their first 17 games of the year.
Smith's defense has remained at an elite level during the 2021-22 season, sitting at 10th nationally with a total of 46 steals on the year. She is also ranked 31st in the nation in steals per game, averaging 2.71 during each outing. Those numbers are good for third and fourth in the SEC, respectively.
The graduate for the Gators, Smith is in a class all her own when it comes to rebounding. Smith finds herself as one of just five active point guards to have surpassed 500 rebounds, owning 545 for her career. She is joined by Haley Cavinder (Fresno State), Jennifer Coleman (Navy), Seraphine Bastin (Wichita State) and Stella Clark (Monmouth).
Alabama enters Sunday's contest boasting a 10-6 (1-4 SEC) record, most recently falling on the road at Ole Miss, 86-56. Their lone conference victory came over Auburn on Jan. 2, 2022, 56-53.
