GREENVILLE, S.C.— Florida upset No. 20 Alabama 63-61 in a late-night thriller inside Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The Gators, led by a standout performance from freshman Liv McGill, who scored 29 points, held the lead for most of the game, fending off the Crimson Tide’s late-game push.

Freshman Me’Arah O’Neal led UF on the boards bringing in nine of UF’s 41 rebounds. Florida also snagged 10 steals and forced a total 19 turnovers on the Crimson Tide. The Gators victory marks their first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 14/11 Georgia on Feb. 6, 2022 (54-51).

WITH FLORIDA’S SEC TOURNAMENT WIN:

• UF holds an all-time record of 26-42 at the SEC Tournament
• The Gators are now 2-0 in postseason play for 2025
• Florida will advance to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament and play No. 9 LSU
• UF is 5-3 in the SEC Postseason Tournament under Coach Kelly Rae Finley (2022-25)
• The Gators are 2-7 all-time when facing Alabama in postseason play
• UF has advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in back-to-back years (2024, 2025)
• Florida snapped a three-game losing streak against Alabama dating back to Feb. 29, 2024

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
IN THE FIRST:

• McGill led UF with six points shooting 2-5 from the field and 1-2 from the charity stripe
• Florida led over Alabama for a total seven minutes in the first period
• The two teams were tied up for a combined two minutes
• UF secured two of their four layup attempts
• Alexia Dizeko distributed both of Florida’s assists
• Eight of UF’s first 13 points were tallied inside the paint
• UF forced six turnovers on the Crimson Tide
• The Gators out-rebounded Alabama 13-11

IN THE SECOND:

• UF posted 17 points and shot 40 percent from the field (6-15)
• McGill and Gassett both shot 100 percent from the free throw line
• Warren led in scoring with five points and secured UF’s only three pointer of the quarter

  • Warren also led Florida in blocks, hitting two

• The Gators led over the Crimson Tide for upwards of nine minutes (9:32)
• Me’Arah O’Neal led on the boards with three of Florida’s 10 rebounds
• McGill distributed three of Florida’s four assists
• Florida held the advantage at 30-26 going into halftime

 
IN THE THIRD:

• Florida put up 17 points in the third—eight coming from inside the paint
• McGill led the Gators in scoring with eight points, shooting 3-5 from the field

  • McGill shot a perfect 2-2 from behind the arc to convert for six

• Reynolds led on defense with two blocks and three rebounds
• UF brought in 11 rebounds with three Gators grabbing two or more
• Florida forced an additional four turnovers on the Crimson Tide

  • McGill snagged two steals and Gassett grabbed one

• The Gators led the contest at 47-43 going into the fourth

 
IN THE FOURTH:

• Florida shot a game best 41.7 percent from the field (5-12)
• McGill posted a game high 11 points going 4-5 from the field and 3-4 from the charity stripe
• 10 of Florida’s 16 points were tallied inside the paint
• The Gators forced five turnovers on Alabama to convert for six points
• UF was led on the boards by Kyle—grabbing four of UF’s seven rebounds
• The Gators took 10 trips to the free throw line and secured six buckets
• Alabama got the score to as close as 62-61 with 16 seconds left on the clock
• Reynolds had a game winning block against Sarah Ashlee Barker with one second left of play

WORTH NOTING:

• UF had three players in double figures for scoring

  • McGill (29), Kyle (12), and Reynolds (10)

• McGill set a career high in scoring with 29 points
• McGill has hit double figures in 29 of her 32 outings as a Gator

  • 12 of those games have been 20+ point performances 

• Florida’s last time defeating a ranked opponent was No. 14/11 Georgia in 2022
• 36 of UF’s 63 points were tallied inside the paint (57%)
• UF remains undefeated when holding its opponents to 69 points or less this season (8-0)
• Florida forced 19 turnovers on Alabama to convert for 14 points
• The Gators were out-rebounded by Alabama 46-41
• Florida distributed a combined 10 assists

  • McGill led in distribution with four, followed by Dizeko with three
  • McGill has now led in assist distribution for 24 times this season

• The Gators have secured 20+ points in 52 of 130 quarters played this season
• UF secured 11 layups in 23 driving attempts (48%)
• Two Gators shot a perfect 100 percent from the free throw line

  • Dizeko (2-2) and Gassett (2-2)

• Florida recorded a game total 74 possessions, converting for 0.85 points per possession
• In total UF led over Alabama for 36 minutes and 37 seconds

 
GATOR BITES:
Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley on Florida’s win and the team mindset:
“That last time out playing Alabama, I felt like we had played well, but we ran out of gas at the end. It was after that game where I could tell we felt defeated and as a coach you really want their hard work to pay off, but we talk a lot about—just because you work hard doesn’t mean you are going to get what you want. And tonight, was a perfect example, and last night too, of watching a group of young women succeed in their efforts and stay diligent in their preparation to earn what they got.”
 
Freshman Liv McGill on her career high 29 points:
“Throughout the game I felt pretty confident. Just talking to my teammates and the coaches before the game, Laila right here, she actually helped me out before the game, just giving me prayer and praying together, that was big for me. During the game, just staying connected and staying poised—that’s what I tried to do to keep my teammates calm.”
 
Sophomore Laila Reynolds on her game sealing block and defensive performances so far:
“Nothing was going through my mind besides getting a stop for my team and staying to my keys… I knew I needed to come up for my teammates on the defensive end because I wasn’t hitting my free throws. But I knew my teammates had my back either way.”
 
TEAM RECORDS:

Florida: 16-16, (6-11 SEC)
Alabama: 23-8, (10-7 SEC)

SERIES RECORD:

The all-time series between Florida and Alabama stands in favor of the Crimson Tide at 34-31. UF snapped a three-game losing streak against Alabama spanning from Feb. 29, 2024 to Feb. 6, 2025.

NEXT UP:

The Gators will now take on the top-10 ranked LSU Tigers in the quarterfinals. LSU is currently on a two-game losing streak, falling to Alabama 88-85 (2/27/25), and Ole Miss 85-77 (3/2/25). The Tigers hold a 4-0 record in neutral territory and are being led in scoring by Aneesah Morrow with an average of 18.2 points per game.

 

No. 9 LSU (27-4, 12-4 SEC):

 
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