No. 19 Gators Women’s Basketball Travels to Starkville to take on Mississippi State

No. 19 Gators women’s basketball heads to Starkville as they face off against Mississippi State Thursday evening.

Gators Women’s Basketball (17-6, 7-3 SEC)

Florida women’s basketball has been on an impressive run as they are on their second of three road trips. The Gators most recent win came from after defeating No. 17, Georgia Bulldogs, 54-51. The Gators look to extend their two-game winning streak heading into Starkville.

Graduate guard,  KiKi Smith earned SEC player of the week for the second time this season. Her first, time earning the award was Jan. 25. Smith has been averaging 17.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and  3.5 assists per game.

Head coach Kelly Rae Finley on her team entering the Top 25 :

After taking down No.13 Tennessee and No.17 Georgia the Gators have defeated five ranked SEC opponents this season under the head coaching of interim Rae Finley. The last time this program defeated five ranked opponents in a season dates back to 2005-06 season. Gators also entered this weeks AP poll at No. 19 and 23rd in the coach polls

Interim Head coach Kelly Rae Finley on their match up against Mississippi State:

https://twitter.com/GatorsWBK/status/1491509709022629891

Mississippi State 14-7 (5-4 SEC)

Mississippi State enters this match up riding a three-game winning streak as its most recent win comes over Auburn, 70-65.  Anastasia Hayes lead the way for the Bulldogs in scoring with 26 points and nine rebounds. Hayes also leads Mississippi State in scoring averaging 18.7  points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 assist per game.

Mississippi State is under the head coaching of Gary Blair who announced in the beginning of the season that it will be his last year coaching as he prepares for retirement. Blair joined the Bulldogs in 2003 leading them to a National Championship in 2011 and also winning five conference titles.

Tip off

Tip off for the game is set for 6:30 p.m. You can also catch coverage of the game on the radio station 98.1 FM/ 850 AM WRUF.

About Jason Bennett

Check Also

Orange & Blue Sports Network

Catch the student-led broadcasts from the College of Journalism and Communications right here.

LIVE THREAD: National Signing Day

Here’s an updated thread of all the recruits who picked the Gator hat today! RB …

AFC Divisional Round Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

During last weekend’s NFL Wild Card round, the Steelers made a statement by handing the Dolphins a …

Houston Looking For an Upset in Foxborough

The saying has always been “it’s hard to beat a good team twice,” and in …

Blue Jackets vs. Lightning Tonight

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning will be facing each other once …

Possible Additions to McElwain’s Recruiting Class Visiting this Weekend

With National Signing Day less than three weeks away, the Gators are hosting several talented …

Florida Gymnastics Prepares for Season Opener

GAINESVILLE, FL – The Florida Gator gymnastics team will kick off their season this Sunday …

Surprised Gators Promote Randy Shannon To Defensive Coordinator? You Shouldn’t Be

Florida’s head coach, Jim McElwain, announced Friday morning that Randy Shannon would be making the …

Quarterbacks in Spotlight for NFL Wild Card Weekend

The NFL Wild Card kicks off Saturday and the quarterback situations could not be any more different. On …

College Football Playoff Shakes Up Schedule

The College Football Playoff was a success in its first year. Yet, that doesn’t stop …

Michael Jordan Speaks out about Shootings, Police Officers

NBA great Michael Jordan opened up about his thoughts about shootings of African-Americans and the …

Treon Harris to Transfer

With the college football season approaching, the Florida Gators have announced that former starting QB …

USA Basketball Wins Second Exhibition Game

Just a few short days after their big win over Argentina, team USA won its …

Charlotte Is No Longer The Home Of The 2017 NBA All-Star Game

The House Bill 2 came between Charlotte, North Carolina and the 2017 All-Star Game. The …

Tampa Bay Rays Continue Series Against Oakland

The Tampa Bay Rays are continuing their three-game winning streak. The Rays defeated the Oakland …

MLB Preview Tonight

It’s summer time—the best time to go to a baseball game and experience the atmosphere. …

Braves Begin Series With Rockies

The Atlanta Braves (33-62) open up a four-game road series with the Rockies (43-51) tonight …

Marlins To Close Out Series With The Phillies

The Miami Marlins are in the middle of a crucial ten game span against NL East …

Rays Crush Rockies 11-3, Face A’s Next

In the midst of a terrible season that has seen the Tampa Bay Rays (37-57) …

American League Second Half Outlook

The second half of the baseball season is in full swing which translates to? Pennant races. Teams …

National League Evening Preview

Tonight is a busy night for the National League in the MLB. Starting with the …

Big 12 Looks To Expand

Following a Tuesday meeting between Big 12 presidents, Oklahoma president David Boren announced that the …

LSU Looks To Capitalize On Its Opportunity

The Louisiana State University Tigers will enter the 2016 college football season with high expectations, …

Muschamp Helps Close Out SEC Media Days 2016

It wasn’t Will Muschamps first SEC Media Days experience, but 2016 marked the first time …

Phil Mickelson Leads British Open After First Day

The 145th annual 2016 British Open is underway at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. The …

Missouri’s Football Crisis: Rebuilding A Program

On the final day of SEC Media Days, Barry Odom took the stand as Missouri’s head …

Second Half Of MLB Season Begins

The All-Star Break is a good time for teams to rest up and reform themselves …

British Open Underway

The 145th Open Championship is already underway at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. Welcome …

Newberry Softball Caps Week With Third Run-Rule Win In A Row

By Hannah Getman and Adam Edelin  The Newberry High School softball team beat the Eastside …