Florida Women’s Basketball Rallies To Beat Arkansas

Florida outscored Arkansas 24-10 in the fourth quarter Thursday at the O’Connell Center to pull off an 85-81 SEC women’s basketball win.

With outstanding performances from Leilani Correa and Aliyah Matharu, Florida (12-9, 3-6 SEC) found its groove again after a brutal loss to LSU on Sunday.

Got the W!#GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/KHNFrVYN5Z

— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) February 9, 2024

Tight First Half

Florida started the game with a re-kindled fire and most of the momentum through the first 10. With guards consistently able to reach the basket, it looked as though the Razorback couldn’t keep up.

The Gators were winning many offensive boards which led to second-chance opportunities. Florida finished the first quarter with 14 rebounds compared to Arkansas’s 10. The Gators took a dominating lead after one, 22-13.

The second quarter wasn’t as sharp as the first for Florida. With sloppy passing leading to turnovers, the Razorbacks (17-8, 5-5) fought their way right back into the game. Taliyah Scott, who dropped 33 in her previous game against Auburn, caught fire with nine second-quarter points.

The Gators committed a few fouls in this quarter which led to a perfect free-throw performance from Arkansas in the first half, going 8-for-8.

Matharu also heated up in the second quarter, shooting 4-for-9 from the field for nine points.

heard you, @thematharuu 🗣️

📺 » SECN+ | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/drugzC1QES

— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) February 8, 2024

Arkansas led at the half 48-46.

Nail-Biting Finish

The third quarter was all Razorbacks. Arkansas outscored Florida 23-15. The Razorback defense looked sharp and held Florida to 33% shooting in the quarter. The Gators committed one too many fouls, giving Arkansas second chances. Led by Makayla Daniels, who shot perfectly in the third, the Razorbacks took a 10-point (71-61) lead heading into the final quarter.

The final 10 minutes consisted of solid play all around from a Florida team which has struggled in the fourth quarter throughout the season. Correa took over in the final minutes of the game with nine points and all the momentum.

sheesh, @leilani_anais 🫢

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— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) February 9, 2024

Matharu’s aggressive man defense disrupted Arkansas and forced turnovers. Zippy Broughton also contributed to Florida’s success with clutch shooting.

An 11-0 run halfway through the fourth shot Florida ahead and it didn’t look back. 

Onto Starkville

Florida will travel to Starkville to battle Mississippi State (20-5, 7-3) on Sunday at 3 p.m. (SEC Network+, ESPN Gainesville 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF).