Gators Host Ospreys In Women’s College Hoops Action

The Florida Gators women’s basketball team looks to push its winning streak to six Monday afternoon when it hosts the North Florida Ospreys in a non-conference matchup at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

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Gators Riding High

It has been a productive start to the season for this Florida squad. The Gators (6-1) are off to their best start in four seasons and are looking to go into conference play with plenty of momentum.

Perhaps the biggest reason Florida has found success so far on the young year has been because of its offense. The Gators are putting up 79 points per game and have three players averaging double figures.

Redshirt senior guard Kiara Smith leads the way with close to 18 points per contest, while sophomore guard Lavender Briggs is right behind her with roughly 17 points per game.

Additionally, Florida has also been consistent on the defensive side, too. The Gators are holding their opponents to an average of 59 points per contest, while also accumulating a total of 13 blocks and 59 steals.

Smith, in addition to her offensive numbers, is also leading the team with 21 of those 59 takeaways. Furthermore, sophomore forward Faith Dut is first on the team in blocks with an average of five per game.

While Florida has been clicking on all cylinders so far, perhaps the same case could be made about its opponent, as well.

North Florida Looks for Upset

The Ospreys (2-4) come into their matchup with the Gators following a 94-81 loss to the Auburn Tigers on Dec. 17.

North Florida was supposed to play Florida A&M on Saturday, but it was canceled. The Ospreys, like Florida, have also been able to find success offensively so far this season.

Through six games, North Florida is averaging close to 74 points per game. Three-point shooting has been a strong area for the Ospreys, as they are making roughy 11 per contest.

Leading the way in scoring is junior guard Marissa Mackens, who is averaging about 17 points per game for the Ospreys. Additionally, similar to the Gators, North Florida also has three players who are putting up double figures in points.

Redshirt senior forward Jazz Bond and senior guard Rhetta Moore have also been impact players for the Ospreys’ offense, as well.

On the defensive side, North Florida has also been solid. While the Ospreys are giving up close to 78 points per contest to their opponents, they still have managed to rack up 35 steals and 13 blocks on the young season.

Final Thoughts

Both Florida and North Florida have been well rounded on both sides of the court this season. It should be interesting to see how the two matchup when both teams hit the floor.