For most teams, facing a top-ranked opponent in their final game of the regular season would be as daunting of a task as they come – especially if their last ranked win came in 2022. However, UF head coach Kelly Rae Finley and her Gator squad viewed this challenge as a “cool opportunity.”
The Florida Gators entered the sold-out Moody Center in Austin, Texas, with a mindset to compete and leave it all out on the hardwood.
Florida (14-16, 5-11 SEC) suffered a staggering 72-46 defeat to No. 1 Texas (29-2, 15-1) on Sunday afternoon, as the Longhorns secured the SEC regular season co-champion title in their first year in the conference.
Although the Gators had an early 8-3 lead halfway through the first quarter, it was short-lived, as Florida finished with its lowest-scoring game of the season.
Multiple Florida players found themselves in foul trouble trying to contain Texas. UF senior center Ra Shaya Kyle was subbed out at the end of the first quarter after tallying two early fouls, causing her to have only four points by the half.
Entering the final quarter of play, four different UF players were either in foul trouble or had fouled: sophomore guard Laila Reynolds (5, fouled out), senior guard Jerriah Warren (3), freshman guard Liv McGill (3) and Kyle (4).
During the fourth quarter, McGill and Kyle joined Reynolds on the bench with five personal fouls, while freshman wing Me’Arah O’Neal reached her fourth foul.
UF started the game 8-0 in the paint, establishing an 8-1 lead. Kyle and McGill spearheaded the run with four points each.
However, the Longhorns responded with a 15-2 run of their own to end the first quarter with a 16-10 lead.
By halftime, Texas capitalized on 12 forced turnovers, scoring 10 points. UT finished with 21 points off 23 forced turnovers. The Gators outrebounded the Longhorns 40-33.
The Gators struggled offensively, shooting 33% from the field compared to the Longhorns’ 46%.
UT sophomore forward Madison Booker tallied double-digits by the half with 12 points. She finished with 14 points on 6-of-10 from the field. Junior center Kyla Oldacre dominated in the second half, scoring 10 points and finishing with 18, while junior guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda had 11 of her own.
Not one Florida player scored more than four points in the first half, including McGill, the team’s usual leading scorer. However, she picked up the pace in the third quarter with five points. McGill reached nine points on 3-of-6 field goals and 3-of-4 free throws by the end of the game.
Before being subbed out, Kyle was the first and only Gator to reach double-digits in the fourth quarter with 12 points on 4-of-6 field goals and 4-of-4 free throws.
The Longhorns outscored Florida 25-13 in the third quarter, achieving a comfortable 23-point lead to start the last quarter.
Florida continued to battle in the fourth quarter, staying close behind Texas in scoring at 18-15. Despite a commendable team effort, the Gators were in far too deep of a hole to put up a true fight.
Now, Florida will prepare to travel to Greenville, South Carolina, to compete in the SEC Tournament. The Gators, who are locked in for the No. 11 seed in the bracket, will play their first round game on Wednesday at approximately 8:30 p.m. Their opponent is still to be determined.
Contact Amanda Roman at aroman@alligator.org. Follow her on X @mandy_romannn
Amanda Roman is a sophomore sports journalism major and the Spring 2025 women's basketball reporter. This is her second semester at the sports desk for The Alligator, and she previously interned for Fort Lauderdale United FC. In her free time, she enjoys lifting, shopping and reading.
