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After a 78-69 loss in Gainesville last month, Georgia bounced back with a 76-60 win against Florida on Sunday in Athens.
Final. #GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/KLqhgfvTe8
— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) February 25, 2024
First Half
The Bulldogs (12-15, 3-11 SEC) scored the first points of the game and almost all the ones in the first half. After both teams missed multiple shot attempts to begin the game, Georgia gained momentum on offense.
Javyn Nicholson was a force down low for Georgia. She totaled 12 first-half points with six rebounds. The Bulldogs were consistently able to feed the ball into the paint. Georgia ended the half with 22 points in the paint compared to Florida’s 12.
A major struggle for the (Gators 14-12, 5-9) was 3-point shooting. Florida only shot 2-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first half. The Gators were never able to find an offensive groove and Georgia’s defense stayed inside keeping Florida from driving efficiently.
The Bulldogs outrebounded the Gators 29-15. A lot of these rebounds led to second chances for Georgia and kept Florida from constant possessions. Georgia scored 10 second-chance points in comparison to Florida’s three.
Toward the end of the half, Zippy Broughton scored back-to-back buckets for the Gators trying to keep Florida in the game. Georgia bounced back quickly and went on a 6-0 run, going up 47-25 heading into halftime.
off to the races 💨@zippydahippie steal and score!#GoGators pic.twitter.com/G4NTTyHEVA
— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) February 25, 2024
Too Little Too Late
Florida started the second half with a nice finish from Faith Dut. However, Georgia continued to dominate on the offensive end with ball movement that made the Gators’ defense collapse, leading to an open shooter.
The Gators committed fouls early on with Dut and Laila Reynolds collecting three. Florida shot much better in the third quarter, but Georgia was right there to match the energy.
Florida began to go on a run finally finding offensive momentum, when Nicholson converted on an and-1. Georgia went up 65-42 heading into the final 10.
The final quarter was the best for Florida and its highest scoring one of the night. Leilani Correa led with eight points, totaling 21 on the day. With about four minutes to go, Florida went on a 6-0 run, but it was too little too late.
https://twitter.com/GatorsWBK/status/1761840737778631105
The Bulldogs scored their most points against an SEC opponent this season.
Looking Ahead
Florida stays on the road to battle Alabama (20-8, 7-6) starting at 7 p.m. Thursday (SEC Network+, ESPN Gainesville 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF).
