Gator Women’s Basketball Heads to Baton Rouge

The Florida Women’s basketball team is headed to LSU for their first SEC road match up on Thursday.

This will be the 41st meeting between the Gators and Tigers, with both of last season’s wins going in Florida’s favor (82-56 in Baton Rouge; 53-45 in Gainesville).

https://twitter.com/CoachButlerUF/status/816808477293248512

SEC Struggles

Both teams are coming off a loss in their league openers on Sunday. LSU fell to No. 5 Mississippi St, 74-48 while Auburn topped Florida 82-75. Auburn’s intense pressure forced 26 turnovers for the Gators. Senior Ronni Williams scored a team-best 24 points in the game and is the leading scorer in the SEC.

Despite UF winning the last five of seven games against the Lady Tigers, LSU holds a strong lead over the series at 26-14, including a 13-5 record in Baton Rouge.

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Williams and Haley Lorenzen are the most consistent in putting points on the board for the Gators. Williams is a 60-percent (110-182) shooter from the field with an average of 18.4 points per game. Lorenzen is a 71-percent (37-52) shooter from the free-throw line, averages 12.6 a game and leads the Gators with an average of 8.2 rebounds a game.

Before LSU’s loss to Mississippi State they had momentum going; they had won seven-straight games and are 11-3 on the year.

LSU Leaders

Junior guard Raigyne Moncrief is a major a force for the Lady Tigers. She leads the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game and is No. 2 in the SEC in steals with 41. She also averages 5.1 rebounds a game and has scored in double figures in the last 12-straight contests.

Sophomore guard Chloe Jackson and senior forward Alexis Hyder are also expected to lead LSU. Jackson averages double digits with 12.1 points per game and is on a hot streak with 10-plus points in the last five contests. Hyder leads the team in rebounds with 5.6 per game with Jackson a close second with 5.4 a contest.

LSU hosts Florida on Thursday. Hear what @lsunikkifargas, @hill_nandesu & @clj_0 had to say about the upcoming SEC home opener. #AllforLSU pic.twitter.com/eqPFirXrx2

— LSU WomensBasketball (@LSUwbkb) January 4, 2017

The Lady Tigers will have to be physical hitting the boards against the Gators, who have statistically dominated their opponents beneath the basket. Florida is outrebounding its foes by a 6.9 rebound margin this season.

Tune into the game on ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM or WRUF 850 AM at 7:45 p.m. for live coverage of the game.