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  • WBB: Florida conquers FSU Behind Stout Defense

    WBB: Florida conquers FSU Behind Stout Defense

    Emanuely de Oliveira’s career best performance boosts third consecutive Florida win

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    After a stout defensive effort, the Florida Gators conquered rivals Florida State, 69-55 to earn three wins in a row during a four-game home stance.

    The victory is the first over Florida State since the meeting in 2015 and the all-time series moves to a 43-35 UF advantage. 

    UF junior guard Lavender Briggs usually leads the scorecard for her team but Sunday was the Emanuely de Oliveria show. The senior churned out a career-best performance with 16 points on top of six rebounds to charge the Gators to victory.

    UF interim coach Kelly Rae Finley praised Manuโ€™s performance during the post-game.

    โ€œManu made some big-time plays for us today and that’s something that she’s consistently done for us,โ€ Finley said. โ€œShe just has a steadiness and composure to her game and her basketball IQ is very high. We thought that that would be a mismatch and that four-position both her and Jordan could expose, and it was nice to see them have some success tonight on the offensive end.” 

    Teammate Kiki Smith followed up her near-triple double performance from Friday with 11 points, three assists and four rebounds. 

    Although FSU won the rebound battle and Florida had a hard time shooting outside the paint, the UF defense created 23 turnovers, including 10 steals, to cripple the Seminoles. Meanwhile, the Gators recorded a season-low seven turnovers on the offensive side of the court to maintain possession and a lead.

    Up next for Florida is an early-Tuesday matchup at 1 p.m. in Gainesville, FL against Murray State who is fresh off a 75-66 road loss to Samford.

  • Gators Flip 3-Star OL Christian Williams from ULL

    Gators Flip 3-Star OL Christian Williams from ULL

    Photo by Brian Perroni | 247Sports

    Florida has finally landed its first commitment since Billy Napier was named head coach.

    The Gators flipped 3-star OL Christian Williams, who was previously committed to Napier at Louisiana. The Missouri City, Texas native had been committed to the Ragin’ Cajuns since June 30, but changed during his official visit to the University of Florida.

    The 6’4 320 lb interior offensive lineman is ranked as the No. 91 player at his position and the No. 209 prospect in the state of Texas. All rankings are according to the 247Sports composite.

    To date, Florida and Louisiana are the only programs to offer Williams.

    Florida now has eight commitments in the 2022 cycle following a flurry of decommits since Napier was hired.

  • VB: Undefeated Louisville Ends Florida’s 2021 Season in Sweet 16

    VB: Undefeated Louisville Ends Florida’s 2021 Season in Sweet 16

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    The Gators watched their season come to an end Thursday in Kentucky where they fell in straight sets to the nation’s top-ranked Louisville Cardinals.

    After scoring the match’s first three points, Florida lost 17 of the next 22 points en route to a nine-point, first-set defeat. The Gators totaled a staggering 10 errors in the opening set and hit a season-low .081 for the match.

    Late in the second set, Florida had a 22-20 lead, but the Cardinals scored five unanswered points to clinch a 2-0 advantage. The Gators were drained by the third set in which they fell 25-12 and recorded a .000 hitting percentage.

    Louisville landed 43 kills on 91 attempts (.341) led by sophomore outside hitter Anna DeBeer (13).

    Florida outside hitters Sofia Victoria and Thayer Hall led the Gators in kills, but the duo committed 15 errors combined and both hit under .100.

    Senior setter Marlie Monserez was perhaps Florida’s lone bright spot. She landed four kills on only eight attempts (.500), racked up 20 assists, three digs, three block assists and served one of only two Gator aces.

    Box Score

    No. 21 Florida: 16-22-12

    No. 1 Louisville: 25-25-25

    Individual Stat Leaders

    Aces

    • Monserez/Adams: 1

    Kills

    • Victoria: 13
    • Hall: 9
    • Monserez: 4

    Assists

    • Monserez: 20
    • McKissock: 4
    • Victoria: 2

    Digs

    • Beason: 8
    • McKissock: 7
    • Hall: 6

    Blocks

    • Beason/Monserez/Kelley: 3
    • Forte/Okammor: 2
  • MBB: No. 20 Gators Rout North Florida, 85-55

    MBB: No. 20 Gators Rout North Florida, 85-55

    Photo by James Gilbert | Getty Images

    It began with just under four minutes remaining in Wednesday’s contest. “We want Klatsky! We want Klatsky!,” the student section chanted as the clock continued ticking towards 0:00.

    Finally, with 2:45 remaining, Florida head coach Mike White gave the crowd what they wanted and walk-on Alex Klatsky entered the game.

    Although he didn’t score any points and finished the game 0-1 from the field, his presence meant the Gators did something they didn’t do on Monday, took care of business.

    The Gators dominated North Florida en route to a 85-55 win.

    Florida was led by Colin Castelton, who posted a career high 26 points and eight rebounds. Myreon Jones added 14 points, but hit just 1-5 from behind the three point line. Tyree Appleby was the only other double digit scorer, finishing with 13 off the bench for the Gators.

    Florida’s defensive intensity returned after a two game hiatus. The Ospreys turned the ball over 28 times with 21 of those being stolen by the Gators’ defense. Additionally, UNF made just 35% of their attempts from the floor and just 5-21 from deep.

    The Gators move to 7-2 on the season and will face Maryland in the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational on Sunday in Brooklyn, NY. The game is set to air on Big Ten Network and will tip-off at 4:30 PM.

  • WBB: Florida and Dayton trade blows, but Gators siege victory

    WBB: Florida and Dayton trade blows, but Gators siege victory

    UF guard Kiki Smith leads the way with impressive stat line to beat the Flyers

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    As the final minute ticked down, a measly point separated the visiting Dayton Flyers and Florida Gators.ย 

    The teams traded scores and turnovers inside the paint but only one team was allowed to come out on top. UF guard Lavender Briggs heaved a jump shot after a bullet pass from teammate Kiki Smith. 

    The crowd silenced as the ball rainbowed, anticipating a swish. The ball rolled around the rim and drained through to place a dagger in the hearts of Dayton and ignite Exactech Arena.

    Dayton graduate forward desperately slingshotted a look from downtown with less than 10 seconds but the ball bricked off the front of the rim.

    Florida walked out of the Oโ€™Dome with a three-point win.

    From every fast break and drive in the paint, Smith was a war machine on Wednesday afternoon.

    The Dayton Flyers (6-2) paid a visit to Gainesville, Florida to take on the returning Gators whoโ€™d just competed in four consecutive road games. Despite the last minute push, the Flyers fell short and the Gators start the home stance with a 60-57 win.

    Dayton dominated the first frame of play despite a flaming start from the Gators.

    The Flyers won the tip-off but UF guard Lavender Briggs finished at the rim after a sneaky turnover created by Smith. The score stood at a 4-0 Florida lead but Dayton quickly flipped the switch in the ensuing possession.

    A large chunk of the first quarter saw a threatening performance from Dayton as they pulled their way back with a 12-2 run. The Gators tallied four fouls and surrendered the ball four times during a three-minute scoring drought.

    A valiant effort from the Gators in the second frame brought the team back to a powerful halftime lead. The defense, mainly six-foot-three center Taliyah Wych, reclaimed the paint has theirs and forced seven turnovers by blocking and pick-pocketing the Dayton offense. Dayton found themselves on a scoring drought for three minutes. 

    By the end of the 14-2 run, Florida claimed a desired 10-point lead.

    From then on, the Gators annihilated the Flyers except for one athlete.

    Dayton guard Makira Cook built some heat during the first quarter run to bolster her stat line at the end of the game. The sophomore made daring cuts in the paint and finger-rolled her way to 12 points to end the first half. Cook finished with 20 points, two assists and three boards.

    Standing at five-foot-six, Cook slithered her away around UFโ€™s man defense to find open looks around the court. Her smooth finishes at the rim was just a chery on top of her elite performance.

    Two of Cookโ€™s teammates, guards Kyla Whitehead and Jenna Giacone, also reached double digits on the scorecard. The two combined for 26 points and four assists, but Whitehead defended her turf in the paint to reach 10 rebounds.

    In the end, the last-ditch effort by Dayton in the final minutes made the game intense, but Florida planted their feet and kept arms upright to fend off the final possessions to walk into the Florida State matchup with some confidence.

  • The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Billy Napier Introduced

    The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Billy Napier Introduced

    Check out the latest episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast as Jake Hitt is joined by Ryan Haley to discuss Billy Napier’s introduction as head coach of the Florida Gators.

    The two then discuss the flurry of assistant coaching hires by Napier as he begins to round out his staff.

    Also, the coaching carousel this year has been wild, both share thier thoughts on the new hires around the country.

    Click play on the following audio player to listen to this week’s episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast:

    You can also follow The Gridiron Growl Podcast on the following platforms:

  • MBB: Gators Loss To Texas Southern Among Worst in Program History

    MBB: Gators Loss To Texas Southern Among Worst in Program History

    Photo by James Gilbert | Getty Images

    It seemed like Mike White had turned a page. Through six games, the Gators were 6-0 and riding high after a buzzer beater over a very good Ohio State team.

    Less than two weeks later, the #FireMikeWhite crowd on social media is back in full force.

    The Gators dropped their second straight contest on Monday, but this one was vastly different than the road defeat in Norman last week.

    Florida was taking on Texas Southern, a SWAC team that entered winless at 0-7. The Gators were a 24-point favorite and many thought that spread was too little.

    Instead of Florida running laps around inferior competition, the Tigers were the ones setting the pace leaving the Gators with more questions than answers.

    The defense that was lauded for their performances throughout the 6-0 start has fallen off significantly. The Tigers shot 54% from the floor, but limited the Gators to just 38%.

    The biggest issue: rebounding. The Gators finished -23 on the glass despite not playing anyone taller than 6’9. 6’11 forward Colin Castelton has to be better against smaller lineups. The senior from Deland finished with 12 points and 5 rebounds. Fellow starting forward Anthony Duruji finished with 9 points and 4 boards in 24 minutes of play.

    Furthermore, Florida is failing to find the hot hand. Brandon McKissic led the Gators with 15 points on 4-6 shooting (all threes), but that was all the looks he got. Maybe, if McKissic gets a few extra looks, the game is closer.

    But, probably not. Here’s why:

    Effort

    Fans clamored over this team because of the effort and the intensity they played with. What has happened over the last two games is incredibly lethargic play leading to embarrassing results. Furthermore, it’s exactly what we’ve seen from White’s teams in the past.

    For this team to get over the hump and play beyond opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament, they must play with the aggression and intensity that we saw over the first month of the season, not what ever seen this last two weeks.

    The silver lining is obvious. It’s still very early in the season and a team full of newcomers was bound to experience ups and downs. It just wasn’t supposed to come at the hands of Texas Southern.

  • WBB: Gators overcome faulty shooting in victory over TCU

    WBB: Gators overcome faulty shooting in victory over TCU

    Florida improves to 7-3 after overcoming inconsistencies from the floor

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    After an episode of heartbreak, the Florida Gators battled through points of inconsistency but busted out a 63-54 win over the Texas Christian Hornfrogs. The victory ends a four-game road trip that included a work-cation in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the Gators won both matchups.

    Florida broke even after returning to the States, getting upset by four points to George Mason despite a last-minute effort by the Gator offense.

    TCU dominated from beyond the arc on Sunday, but Florida stayed coherent while shooting from the field and inside the paint. 

    UF guard Lavender Briggs led the way once again for Florida while posting 22 points and inches closer to 1,000 career points. The junior is climbing that mountain, step-by-step, and resides at 920 points in her three-year stint.

    Forward Jordyn Merritt and guard Kiki Smith found their way to double-digit points during the Florida victory.  The two offensive stars combined efforts to place 23 points on the scoreboard while Smith tallied her 10th career double-double with 11 rebounds. 

    Briggs, Smith and Merritt did everything they could to get to the basket but the team as a whole was sub-par in their shooting, especially from three-point territory.  The team went 2-for-18 (11.1%) from downtown and went an alarming 24-for-62 (38.7%) from the rest of the floor.

    TCU shot just well (38.5%), but Florida forced 23 turnovers and converted them to 19 points to run away with a win in their back pocket. The turnovers included nine steals and a few possessions followed by five UF blocks. Sophomore Floor Toonders tallied a career-high three rejections.

    Another assist to the redemption was Floridaโ€™s ability to out-duel TCU in the paint. The Gators won the battle of the boards, 38-30, but TCU did have the 30-20 advantage for points in the paint. 

    UF is now 3-1 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge and have a 2-1 all-time series lead over the Horned Frogs. The Gators return home on Wednesday for a 2 p.m. matchup in Exactech Arena against Dayton. The action will be broadcast to SEC Network+.

  • VB: Gators Sweep Canes to Advance to NCAA Regional Semis

    VB: Gators Sweep Canes to Advance to NCAA Regional Semis

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    Florida knocked off Miami in straight sets Thursday night at the O’Connell Center to clinch its 28th NCAA Regional Semifinal appearance in program history.

    The Gators hit .276, but the Hurricanes landed only 27 kills and committed 21 errors en route to a 0.53 hitting percentage. The match marks Florida’s seventh this season in which it held its opponent under 1.00.

    Outside hitters Sofia Victoria and Thayer Hall led the Gators with 13 kills each, but Victoria made seven errors en route to a .182 hitting percentage. Hall committed only a pair of attack errors (.344) and notched a double-double with 10 digs.

    Sophomore libero Elli McKissock led Florida with 23 digs โ€” her sixth match this season with 20+ digs.

    Box Score

    No. 24 Miami: 15-20-16

    No. 21 Florida: 25-25-25

    Individual Stat Leaders

    Aces

    • Beason/Hall: 2
    • Adams: 1

    Kills

    • Victoria/Hall: 13
    • Beason: 7

    Assists

    Monserez: 34

    McKissock: 3

    Victoria: 2

    Digs

    • McKissock: 23
    • Hall: 10
    • Beason: 8

    Blocks

    • Forte: 6
    • Hall: 4
    • Kelley: 3

    Next Up

    The Gators will most likely face No. 1 Louisville in the Sweet 16, unless Ball State pulls off the upset and butchers the Cardinals’ undefeated season. Florida’s opponent will be known for certain Saturday night following the Louisville-Ball State match.

  • VB: Gators Sweep Florida A&M in First Round of NCAA Tournament

    VB: Gators Sweep Florida A&M in First Round of NCAA Tournament

    The Gators cruised past Florida A&M Thursday night at the O’Connell Center to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This marks UF’s fifth sweep victory over FAMU in the first round of the tournament since the turn of the century. In 31 seasons under head coach Mary Wise, Florida has never lost its opening-round NCAA Tournament match. The victory also marked Wise’s 1,000 career win โ€” a milestone set by no other female coach in Division I women’s volleyball history.

    In the opening set, the Gators proved their dominace as they quickly built a 19-6 lead before freshman Merritt Beason served an ace and landed her fourth kill of the set to clinch a decisive 25-11 victory.

    Florida served a season-high 12 aces courtesy of six different players. Beason and freshman Trinity Adams led the team with three each. Seniors Thayer Hall and Marlie Monserez added a pair of their own aces and sophomores Elli McKissock and Birdie Hendrickson each served one.

    The Gators hit over .400 in each of the first two sets and held their opponent to a negative hitting percentage (.026) for the first match since their season opener against San Francisco.

    Sophomore outside hitter Sofia Victoria led Florida with 13 kills โ€” her first match notching double-digit kills since September โ€” on 27 attempts (.333). Victoria displayed her grit as she added seven digs and recorded her first two career solo blocks.

    Box Score

    Florida A&M: 11-14-8

    No. 21 Florida: 25-25-25

    Individual Stat Leaders

    Aces

    • Beason/Adams: 3
    • Hall: 2

    Kills

    • Victoria: 13
    • Hall: 11
    • Kelley: 6

    Assists

    • Monserez: 38
    • McKissock: 2
    • Hall: 1

    Digs

    • Hall: 9
    • McKissock: 8
    • Victoria: 7

    Blocks

    • Kelley/Beason/Forte: 3

    Next Up

    The Gators will return to the Oโ€™Connell Center Friday night to face No. 24 Miami. The Hurricanes finished the regular season 24-4 and third in the ACC before they knocked off South Alabama in four sets in their opening-round match Thursday.

    The Gators and Canes have only met twice historically, and both matches were played in Gainesville. On both occasions โ€” once in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament and again in 2017 โ€” Florida prevailed in four sets. Friday’s match will start at 7 p.m. and air on ESPN+.