(WBK) Gators Host Auburn 1/13/22 5:00 pm

• Wednesday, January 12, 2022
  Gators Return Home for Thursday Contest with Auburn
  Andrew Hile UAA
  Florida is coming off an upset victory at then-No. 25 Texas A&M.
  
  Live Stream: SEC Network
  Radio: 98.1FM/850AM WRUF
  Live Stats: SIDEARM
  Game Notes: Florida | Auburn
  GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida women's basketball is set to return home on Thursday evening when they welcome Auburn to Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center for a 5 p.m. ET matchup.
  The game will be streamed live on SEC Network with Tiffany Greene and Christy Thomaskutty on the call. Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis will handle radio responsibilities on 98.1FM/850AM WRUF.
  
  Thursday will mark the 62nd meeting between the Gators and Tigers, with Auburn holding a 37-24 advantage in the series. Florida, however, currently boasts a three-game win streak, most recently winning at the 2021 Southeastern Conference Tournament on Mar. 3, 69-62.
  The Gators enter Thursday's contest fresh off of a victory over then-No. 25 Texas A&M in College Station, marking the first victory for Florida on the road in series history. Facing a 19-point deficit in the third quarter, Florida rallied to defeat the Aggies in double overtime, 97-89, behind a career-high 28 points from Zippy Broughton in addition to seven rebounds. Veteran Kiara Smith added 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. As a team, UF connected on 13 triples, tied for the third-best outing in program history.
  
  Sunday's dramatic comeback also marked the largest comeback for Florida in the quarter-era and second-largest comeback in school history. The largest comeback occurred on Jan. 4, 1992 when the Gators rallied from a 20-point hole at Alabama to win, 103-102, in double overtime.
  
  As mentioned, Broughton had the best day of her collegiate career on Sunday, tallying career-bests in eight statistical categories including points (28), field goals (10), field goals attempted (19), three pointers (3), free throws made (5), free throws attempted (6), rebounds (7) and blocked shots (2). The 28 points is the highest point total by a Gator this season.
  
  With the victory over No. 25 Texas A&M, Florida earned their first ranked-victory since defeating #22 Arkansas, 83-80, on Feb. 23, 2020. It also marked the first victory over a ranked opponent on the road since a 70-62 win over No. 13 Kentucky on Jan. 12, 2020.
  
  Smith continues to remain elite defensively for the Orange & Blue, as she currently sits at 10th nationally with a total of 44 steals on the year. She is also ranked 32nd in the nation in steals per game, averaging 2.75 during each outing. Those numbers are good for third and fourth in the SEC, respectively.
  
  The District Heights, Md., native also finds herself in a class all her own when it comes to rebounding. Smith is just one of five active point guards to have surpassed 500 rebounds, owning 542 for her career. She is joined by Haley Cavinder (Fresno State), Jennifer Coleman (Navy), Seraphine Bastin (Wichita State) and Stella Clark (Monmouth).

• More at: Gators Return Home for Thursday Contest with Auburn - Florida Gators

 

• Women's Basketball 1/12/2022 11:21:00 AM
  Auburn women face road test at Florida

AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn women's basketball team will hit the road for its next two contests, beginning Thursday afternoon as the Tigers travel to Gainesville, Fla., to take on the Florida Gators. Game time is 4 p.m. CT at Exactech Arena on the UF campus.
The Tigers (8-6, 0-3) are still looking to break through for an SEC victory following two nailbiters to open the league season and a tough day at home against LSU on Sunday. Florida (11-5, 1-2) got on the board in league play Sunday with a double-overtime win on the road at Texas A&M.

LAST TIME OUT
›› No. 13 LSU jumped out to a big early lead, and Auburn was never able to recover as they fell 76-48 Sunday at Auburn Arena.
›› Auburn (8-6, 0-3 SEC) kept pace with their Tiger counterparts through the middle 20 minutes of the game, but the first and fourth quarters were all LSU (15-2, 3-1).
›› Auburn shot a season-low 24.2 percent from the floor (15-62) and made just one 3-pointer on the day. LSU controlled the boards, pulling down 50 rebounds to Auburn's 35, and outscored Auburn in the paint 42-24. LSU shot 29-of-63 (46.0%) from the field.
›› Despite playing limited minutes due to early foul trouble, Aicha Coulibaly led Auburn with 13 points and six rebounds. Honesty Scott-Grayson added 12, and Sania Wells had eight. Wells and Mar'Shaun Bostic had two assists apiece, and Bostic led Auburn with a pair of steals.
›› Sophomore center Precious Johnson, who transferred to Auburn during the semester break, made her Auburn debut Sunday, less than 36 hours after learning she had been granted eligibility by the NCAA. The 6-5 Texas transfer scored two points and had a rebound in just under nine minutes off the bench in her first game action since March.

AN AUBURN WIN WOULD...
›› Be head coach Johnnie Harris' first SEC victory.
›› Be Auburn's first SEC win since Feb. 25, 2020, at Missouri.
›› Snap a three-game losing streak to Florida.

AUBURN-FLORIDA SERIES
›› Auburn is 38-24 all-time against Florida, including a narrow 13-12 edge in Gainesville. Florida, however, has won the last three meetings.

LAST MEETING: March 3, 2021, at Greenville, S.C.
Florida 59, Auburn 52
›› Auburn rallied from an 18-point third-quarter deficit to retake the lead midway through the fourth quarter, but a late Florida run ended the Tigers' comeback hopes in a 69-62 loss in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
›› The Tigers used a 23-2 run over a five-and-a-half minute stretch spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter to turn a 52-34 deficit into a 57-54 lead. But the Gators answered with a 12-0 run of their own, and Auburn made just one field goal the rest of the way.
›› Honesty Scott-Grayson, despite missing a big chunk of the first half after taking a shot to the face while diving for a loose ball, finished with 12 points and a team-leading three assists.
›› Senior Unique Thompson put a bow on her senior season with 14 points and 10 rebounds for her 58th career double-double, extending her all-time Auburn record and moving into a tie for seventh place in SEC history in career double-doubles. Eight of her 14 points came during Auburn's big run to take the lead early in the fourth quarter.

SCOUTING FLORIDA
›› Florida is 11-5 overall, 1-2 in SEC play. The Gators picked up one of their biggest wins of the year Sunday, winning 97-89 in double overtime on the road at Texas A&M. Florida has dropped contests to Georgia and Ole Miss so far in league play.
›› The Gators average 68.4 points per game while giving up 64.4.
›› Kiara Smith is the Gators' leading scorer with 13.2 points per game. She also leads the Gators' active players in rebounding (5.3), assists (4.4) and steals (2.8).

SCOUTING AUBURN
›› Auburn is 8-6, 0-3 in SEC play. The Tigers had two straight nailbiters go the opponents' way with a 3-point loss at Alabama and an overtime setback at Missouri to open league play, followed by a home loss to LSU Sunday.
›› With wins at No. 18 Georgia Tech on Nov. 21 and at home over Oklahoma State on Dec. 5, the Tigers have two wins over non-conference Power 5 opponents for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
›› Sophomore Aicha Coulibaly leads Auburn and is fourth in the SEC in scoring with 17.6 points/game. She is also the Tigers' top rebounder with 8.1 rebounds per game. She has topped the 20-point mark in five contests, scoring a career-high 27 against Charleston Southern, 23 against North Florida, 25 vs. Oklahoma State, 24 at Belmont and 23 vs. Kennesaw State. She also has three double-doubles this season, including 17 points and 12 rebounds at Alabama. For her efforts against UNF and OSU, she was named SEC Player of the Week on Dec. 7.
›› Redshirt junior Honesty Scott-Grayson is averaging 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds, and she has recorded two double-doubles. She was the Tigers' leading returner from 2020-21 in most statistical categories: scoring (14.5 ppg), rebounding (4.1 rpg), assists (1.7 apg), steals (2.1 APG) and shooting (.406 FG/.301 3FG/.761 FT).
›› Junior Sania Wells has returned to her natural position of point guard and is averaging 11.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Wells is the SEC's top free-throw shooter at .939 (46-49), which also ranks 6th nationally. She scored a career-high 20 points at Missouri on Jan. 6.
›› Junior Annie Hughes and redshirt senior Kiyae' White have been key components of the starting lineup as well. Hughes is the only Tiger to appear in every game since the start of the 2019-20 season and is among the SEC leaders in minutes played (33.6). White missed all but one game last season, but as a redshirt sophomore in 2019-20, she averaged 4.0 points and 4.8 rebounds. Hughes scored a career-high 21 points and hit 5 3-pointers against Charleston Southern on Nov. 26. White had a season-high 9 rebounds at Mizzou.
›› Junior Jala Jordan has been exceptional on the defensive end, leading the Tigers with 14 blocks and pulling down 4.4 rebounds in 15.6 minutes/game off the bench. She recorded her first career double-double with a career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds against Grambling on Dec. 18, and she made her first start of the season at Alabama on Jan. 2.
›› Precious Johnson, a 6-5 transfer from Texas, joined the Tigers for the spring semester and made her Auburn debut Jan. 9 vs. LSU.
more at:
Auburn women face road test at Florida - Auburn University Athletics

 

It got dicey toward the end but they showed a lot of grit to pull out the W
Fee throws were crucial, lots ofhustle and fewer mistakes showed some maturity and depth, as Gal said it got a little off the rail when Kiki was off the floor
The turnout is an embarassment and not just this afternoon

 

UAA
Game Recap: Women's Basketball | Thursday, January 13, 2022 | Andrew Hile
Composure at Free Throw Line Boosts Gators Past Tigers
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Late game composure at the free throw line helped Florida women's basketball withstand a late Auburn rally on Thursday evening, pushing the Gators past the Tigers, 68-63.
Despite shooting just 3-of-14 from the field against the Tigers (8-7, 0-4 SEC), Florida (12-5, 2-2 SEC) ended a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final frame. For the game, the Orange & Blue shot 23-of-61 from the field (37.7%) and 20-of-23 (87%) from the free throw line. Auburn ended the evening 22-of-54 (40.7%) from the floor, but only 17-of-26 (65.4%) from the line.

The Gators were led offensively by Kiara Smith who, despite only having three points at halftime, finished the matchup with 19 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Freshman Alberte Rimdal had her best game of the year, tallying a career-high 14 points while Nina Rickards also added 14 points along with five rebounds. Rickards ended a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
In addition to free throw shooting, bench play played a key role in Florida's success inside Exactech Arena, as the UF bench outscored the Tigers, 29-9. Rimdal led the effort with 14 points, but Floor Toonders contributed a season-high eight points to spark the offense.

On the glass, Auburn outrebounded the Gators in a nearly even effort, 37-36. Rickards, Toonders and Taliyah Wyche all pulled down five for the home squad, assisting in the team's 10-8 advantage on the offensive glass. Auburn was led by Aicha Coulibaly with 24 points, eight rebounds and a block
Entering the third quarter with a 54-48 lead, the Gators would struggle from the floor to start the final frame. Auburn's defensive intensity turned up at the beginning, boosting the Tigers to a 9-0 start for a 57-54 advantage with 4:20 on the clock. Smith put an end to the run 12 seconds later, blowing past the defense for an easy bucket to pull UF back within one.

The Tigers again extended the lead to three with 3:37 left in the game, but momentum would swing back seconds later after Coulibaly committed a foul against Wyche with 2:47 remaining. The Auburn standout, following the foul, received a technical foul, putting Nina Rickards on the line for two free throw makes, again pulling Florida within one.

Despite the setback for the opposition, Auburn would extend the lead to three twice more, owning a 63-60 lead with just over two minutes in the game. It would again be Smith to the rescue for Florida, as the graduate again slice through the lane for a layup to close the gap to one. The Gators got a key stop on the next Tiger possession, before Smith was fouled driving down the court. Two free throws later, the game was back in favor of Florida, 64-63.

Rickards would put the nail in the coffin for the Orange & Blue, going 4-fo-4 from the charity stripe over the last 20 seconds to seal the Gator victory.
Despite the close finish, Florida maintained control of the game for the first three quarters. Auburn opened with a 4-2 led in the first quarter before an 8-0 run, capped off by a Smith jumper, gave the Gators a 10-4 advantage at the first media break. The Tigers managed to managed to stay within four for much of the opening period, but a Kristina Moore triple and Rimdal pull-up pushed the UF lead to 21-12, eventually pushing Florida to a 21-14 advantage after one.
The Orange & Blue would open up a 13-point lead following an 8-2 spurt in the second quarter, spurred by five from Rimdal, with 4:06 left in the half. Auburn responded with an 8-0 run of their own, but a Toonders layup and Rickards jumper as time expired gave the Gators a 37-30 halftime advantage.
Wasting no time in the third frame, Auburn pulled within one with 6:41 on the clock thanks to an 8-2 run of their own. The Tigers and Gators would exchange buckets before an eight-point answer from UF pushed the lead back to 52-43 late in the quarter. Smith would score eight of the final 12 points in the quarter for UF, giving Florida a 54-48 lead before the dramatic finish in the fourth quarter.
the rest at:
Composure at Free Throw Line Boosts Gators Past Tigers - Florida Gators

 

Auburn Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 1/13/2022 6:32:00 PM
Auburn falls in final minute at Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Aicha Coulibaly scored an SEC-high 24 points and Auburn led with less than a minute to go, but Florida ended the game on an 8-0 run to hand the Tigers a 68-63 loss Thursday at the O'Connell Center.

The Tigers (8-7, 0-4 SEC) fought back from as much as a 13-point deficit to take the lead late in the fourth quarter – Auburn led 63-60 with just over a minute to play – but were unable to seal the deal as Florida hit six free throws in the final seconds.
"I felt like we made some very selfish plays (late in the game)," Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris said. "It's very disappointing. … We were able to stay in the game, but a game like this, every possession matters. Your best player can't get a foul and then a technical, they get free throws, they get the ball back. Now they've got momentum.
"We've got to keep fighting, and we've got to get smarter. We've just got to keep getting smarter. Every possession matters, and you can't make plays like (we did late) and expect to win."
Coulibaly led all scorers with her 24 points and also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds. She was the only Tiger in double-figures; Honesty Scott-Grayson had nine points, Sania Wells added eight, and Precious Johnson scored seven in her first collegiate start. Scott-Grayson led the Tigers with three assists, and Mar'Shaun Bostic had three steals off the bench.

Auburn out-shot the Gators 41 to 38 percent, and both teams knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. But Auburn uncharacteristically struggled at the free-throw line, missing nine attempts (17-26) while the Gators were nearly flawless at 20-for-23 (87%). The Tigers outrebounded Florida 37-36 and cut down on the turnovers late with just five in the second half.
Trailing 54-48 headed to the final period, Auburn held Florida scoreless for nearly six minutes while going on a 9-0 run of their own. They took their first lead since the opening minutes on a Coulibaly free throw with 5:29 left to make it 55-54, then an Annie Hughes layup a minute later pushed the lead to three.
Just over a minute later, though, Coulibaly would pick up her fourth and fifth fouls in quick succession, and the Gators would get back within one. Clutch free throws from Scott-Grayson and Wells on Auburn's next two possessions kept the Gators at bay with a three-point Auburn lead, but the Tigers would come up empty on their final four possessions as Florida took advantage of opportunities at the line to pull ahead and seal the win.

The Gators caught fire early, hitting nine of their first 14 shots to take a 21-14 lead after one quarter. That lead would extend to as many as 13 a little over halfway through the second, but an 8-0 run sparked by Coulibaly and Scott-Grayson cut the deficit to as few as five late in the half. A bucket at the buzzer gave Florida a 37-30 halftime lead.
Kiara Smith scored eight points in the fourth quarter and finished with 19 to lead Florida. Nina Rickards and Alberte Rimdal had 14 apiece.

Auburn falls in final minute at Florida - Auburn University Athletics

 

Once again the 'crowd' was pathetic, while the mid week 5 pm start time was dictated by TV our UAA has to find ways to generate some fan interest and attendance to support these kids they are busting their butts from the opening tip to the final whistle and giving it their all on the court