The Florida Gators picked up a 72-65 road win over Grambling State Tuesday night to start their 2019-20 season. Kiara Smith and Zada Williams led Florida with 16 points each.
How it Happened
While it was a fairly tight affair, one area the Gators found an advantage was on second-chance opportunities. Grambling State matched the Gators on defensive boards with 25 rebounds. However, Florida recovered a whopping 19 offensive rebounds. Grambling State, on the other hand, was only able to secure eight.
The Gators had three players with four offensive rebounds. They were Kristina Moore, Nina Rickards and Smith. These three Gators reeled in 33 percent more offensive boards than the entire Grambling State team.
In terms of shooting, the hosts had a better time converting buckets. They shot a respectable 46.4 percent on 26-56 shooting. The Gators shot 41.4 percent, but that’s where the offensive rebound margin makes a real difference. Florida took 14 more shots than Grambling State, so they could afford to have a few more misses.
Another huge difference was Florida’s points off of turnovers. They picked up 24 compared to six from the hosts. In addition, Florida’s bench outscored Grambling State’s bench 25-8.
Worth Mentioning
While she didn’t have a great shooting day, going 3-9, freshman Lavender Briggs led the game with eight assists in her debut.
Moore led the game with four steals, followed by Smith and Rickards with three each.
One of the worrying stats that head coach Cam Newbauer might look at following his team’s win is the lack of blocks. The Gators picked up zero against Grambling State.
What’s Next?
The Gators will return home for their next match against Longwood on Sunday. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and will immediately follow the men’s team’s contest against Florida State.
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