The Florida women’s basketball team is all too familiar with starting slow in SEC play. Last season, the Gators got off to a 0-3 start before notching a tight victory over Georgia to remove the zero from the loss column. UF went on to lose its next two games after that.
In 2025, the Gators (11-7) seem to have turned a new leaf. While Florida has lost to both ranked opponents it has faced in SEC play this year, UF has held its ground against other conference opponents. That was on further display Sunday.
Venturing into a frigid and ice-covered Columbia, Missouri, the Gators skated to a high-scoring victory, dominating down the stretch in a 93-67 blowout over the Tigers (11-8). UF freshman guard Liv McGill and senior guard Jeriah Warren scored over 20 points. McGill also tallied 11 rebounds and 10 assists to secure Florida's first triple-double since 2017.
Florida began the matinee abnormally fast, reaching 26 points in the first quarter. McGill, who leads the Gators in scoring with 15.6 points per game, put in 12 of her 21 points in the first 10 minutes, pushing UF to an early 26-17 lead. That nine-point gap didn’t evaporate for the rest of the afternoon.
With an already storm-limited crowd in attendance, Mizzou Arena seemed to empty even further as Florida rolled to a 45-36 halftime lead. UF finished the first half shooting 63.6% from three in its first trip to Missouri in nearly two years, as senior guard Kenza Salgues knocked down a 3-pointer for the Gators’ final basket before the break.
The second half was no better. Florida and Missouri traded baskets throughout the third quarter, with Warren notching 13 to keep the Gators ahead by 12 entering the fourth quarter. UF left the Tigers in the dust down the stretch, outscoring Missouri 24-10 in the final 10 minutes.
The Gators will stay on the road to continue their SEC slate against the University of Mississippi (11-5, 1-2 SEC) on Thursday at 9 p.m.
Contact Noah White at nwhite@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @noahwhite1782
Noah White is a sophomore majoring in journalism and public relations and The Alligator's Women's Tennis Reporter. In his free time, Noah writes some more and plays soccer and volleyball. He also knows more about Liberty League women's soccer than you do.
