Florida Women’s Basketball Fades in Second Half vs. LSU

The Gators came into Baton Rouge with fire in their eyes, but No. 6 LSU quickly showed what it means to be a top SEC team.

Florida (13-9, 1-6), seeking its second straight SEC win, put up a fight in the first half but fell 89-60 to the Tigers (19-2, 5-2) after a subpar second half.

Florida star player Liv McGil, got things going with eight points in the first quarter and finished the game with a team-high 14 points. McGill’s layup put the Gators up 2-0 early, and for a moment, it felt like they might control the pace. But LSU answered with key plays from Jada Richard, who had a game-high 20 points, and the Tigers finished the first quarter ahead 22-19.

The second quarter remained competitive. McGill and Me’arah O’Neal provided early scoring for Florida, while Laila Reynolds contributed on defense and with points in the paint.

LSU responded with balanced scoring led by Richard and MiLaysia Fulwiley’s 15 points, slowly building an edge. The Gators even took the lead for a bit, but trailed 36-29 after a late LSU run.

Florida started to show its youth in the second half on defense. LSU’s Richard and Fulwiley hit key baskets in transition, while Amiya Joyner dominated the paint with 14 points and 10 rebounds. As a team, Florida struggled with depth, and LSU’s balanced offense created mismatches.

The Gators finished with 17 turnovers and shot 6 of 23 from 3-point range. LSU shot nearly 50% from the field (31 of 64), while making 22 of 29 free throws and outrebounding Florida 48-28.

The Gators now have a chance to turn their week around Thursday against No. 4 Texas at home.

Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Women's Basketball