The Gators women’s basketball team will return home Sunday to face the Auburn Tigers (18-10) in the final game of the 2023-24 regular season. Tip-off is set for noon in the O’Connell Center.
Florida suffered a tough 76-73 loss in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Thursday. UF dropped to 14-13 on the season and 5-10 in conference play.
Florida’s Last Matchup
The Gators have recorded back-to-back road losses. Against Alabama, the Gators opened up shooting 57.1% from the field and outscored the Crimson Tide 25-19. Offensively, senior guard Leilani Correa led the team with 22 points. Three other UF players scored in double-figures.
After scoring a game-low of 11 points in the second quarter, Florida entered the fourth quarter trailing 61-52. The Crimson Tide had a poor shooting performance of 4-for-16 in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Zippy Broughton used it to her advantage to tie the game at 69-69. She was perfect from the 3-point line, going 4-of-4.
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Defensively, the Gators recorded 13 assists led by Broughton and junior Jeriah Warren. However, it wasn’t enough to stop Alabama senior Sarah Barker, who converted a clutch layup down the stretch to hold the lead in the final minutes.
What to Expect
The Gators last faced the Tigers in January 2o23, but they fell to Auburn 66-55.
Auburn heads into Sunday’s game on a two-game win streak. The Tigers defeated Mississippi State 77-60 on Thursday night. Down the stretch, they forced six turnovers to secure the win.
Auburn is led by graduate student Honesty Scott-Grayson, who averages of 17.8 points per game. She is currently ranked third in the SEC in scoring and is the only Tiger averaging double figures. In Thursday’s game, Scott-Grayson recorded a career-high of 32 points.
Defensively, senior forward Taylen Collins averages 6.5 rebounds per game and leads the Tigers with 45 steals and 19 blocks.
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The SEC Tournament will begin March 6.