The Southeastern Conference office released the 2019-20 women’s basketball conference slate Wednesday morning as the Gators learned their assignments for the upcoming season.
Florida women’s basketball is set to host Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss, Arkansas and South Carolina at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
Florida opens its conference season on the road for the third consecutive season as it travels to back-to-back league champion Mississippi State on Jan. 2 to kickoff SEC play. The Gators will also travel to Auburn, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Alabama and Georgia.
“Our student-athletes attend the University of Florida to challenge themselves in a number of areas. In particular, as athletes competing in the best and toughest conference in the country. With the release of our conference schedule, we can see once again that day in and day out it will be a grind; one that we can tell you our young ladies are excited for and are ready to embrace,” said head coach Cameron Newbauer. “After a great summer in the classroom and on the court, we are eager to continue our preparations to attack the challenges that await us this year. We are grateful for the support Gator Nation provides us and cannot wait to see you all in the O’Dome this season.”
Competing against some of the nation’s top talent in the rugged Southeastern Conference, four of UF’s eight home opponents qualified for the 2019 NCAA Tournament and UF’s eight home opponents averaged a win total of 17 a season ago.
This year’s docket sees Newbauer’s Gators take on home-and-home contests against Georgia, Arkansas and Kentucky.
After beginning the 2019-20 conference on the road, Florida hosts Vanderbilt for its home opener on Sunday, Jan. 5. The Gators have claimed four straight vs. the Commodores including last season’s 78-66 victory in Nashville and will look to snap their streak of six straight defeats in SEC home openers.
Following a Thursday night contest at Auburn, UF returns home to host Kentucky on Sunday, Jan. 12 for the first of back-to-back home matchups. Over the last three meetings between the Gators and Wildcats in Gainesville, Florida owns a 2-1 record and all three contests have been decided by single digits.
UF then welcomes the Tennessee Lady Vols on the following Thursday. Tennessee, the only team to make the NCAA tournament every year since it began in 1982, is now under the direction Kellie Harper a former standout point guard for UT.
After a stretch of three out of four games at home, Florida hits the road for consecutive road tilts beginning at Texas A&M on Sunday, Jan. 19 and ending at Arkansas on Jan. 26.
The LSU Tigers come to town on Thursday, Jan. 30 as UF closes out the year’s first month at home. The Gators hold a 3-2 edge over the last five meetings in Gainesville.
Making the return trip to Lexington, Florida travels to Kentucky on Sunday, Feb. 2. Following a bye during midweek action, UF comes back for consecutive home games against Georgia (Sunday, Feb. 9) and Ole Miss (Thursday, Feb. 13). Florida defeated Ole Miss in the opening round of this past season’s SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, earning Newbauer his first postseason victory at UF. The Gators’ battle with the Bulldogs will be their final Sunday home game.
Next, Florida journeys to Missouri (Sunday, Feb. 16) and Alabama (Thursday, Feb. 20) as it looks to continue its momentum against two teams it defeated last season. Two of the Gators’ more memorable wins during the course of the 2018-19 season came against the Tigers and Tide, as UF won both games on buzzer-beating shots.
Just as they did in 2018-19, the Gators finish their regular season with a three-game week. The Gators circle back to the Swamp to host two of their final three games with a Monday night matchup with Arkansas (Feb. 24) and a showdown with South Carolina on Thursday, Feb. 27.
Florida holds a 12-3 mark all time against the Razorbacks at home. The Gamecocks saw their streak of four-consecutive SEC Tournament Championships come to a close this past year but they tout the nation’s No. 1 rated recruiting class.
For the third straight season, Florida will play its regular season finale on the road as it travels to Georgia on Sunday, March 1. Florida will battle Georgia in its season finale for the third time in the last six seasons.
The SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament returns to Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. for the third time in the last four years and is slated to run from Wednesday, March 4 through Sunday, March 8.
UF welcomes back eight returners including starting point guard Kiki Smith and several key rotational players highlighted by Danielle Rainey (9.5 points per game in SEC play) and Zada Williams (team-best .476 field goal percentage). In addition to the veteran experience making its way back to the Swamp, the Gators also feature a talented freshmen class which earned a four-star rank from ProspectsNation and was slotted as the nation’s No. 26 overall recruiting class by the same publication. Lavender Briggs, who became the first player in program history to suit up for the Jordan Brand Classic back in April, headlines the group.
For the second-straight season, the always-challenging SEC sent seven teams to the NCAA Tournament, and Mississippi State advanced to the Elite Eight. Altogether with the seven SEC teams and the five Florida will battle during non-conference play, the Gators will take the court against 12 NCAA Tournament teams from the 2019 field of 64.
Action on the hardwood is rapidly approaching as the Gators open 2019-20 with an exhibition vs. Valdosta State on Oct. 30. Tiip is set for 6 p.m. ET.
Florida Season Tickets
· Season tickets for the 2019-20 Florida women’s basketball season are on sale now.
TV Schedule and Times
· Times and television information will be announced at a later date.
2020 SEC Tournament
· The regular season concludes with the 2020 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.
· The tournament includes all 14 teams. Play begins Wednesday, March 4 and concludes with the championship game on Sunday, March 8.
2019-20 Conference Schedule
Jan. 2 | Thursday | at Mississippi St. | Starkville, Miss. |
Jan. 5 | Sunday | Vanderbilt | Gainesville |
Jan. 9 | Thursday | at Auburn | Auburn, Ala. |
Jan. 12 | Sunday | Kentucky | Gainesville |
Jan. 16 | Thursday | Tennessee | Gainesville |
Jan. 19 | Sunday | at Texas A&M | College Station, Texas |
Jan. 26 | Sunday | at Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. |
Jan. 30 | Thursday | LSU | Gainesville |
Feb. 2 | Sunday | at Kentucky | Lexington, Ky. |
Feb. 9 | Sunday | Georgia | Gainesville |
Feb. 13 | Thursday | Ole Miss | Gainesville |
Feb. 16 | Sunday | at Missouri | Columbia, Mo. |
Feb. 20 | Thursday | at Alabama | Tuscaloosa, Ala |
Feb. 24 | Monday | Arkansas | Gainesville |
Feb. 27 | Thursday | South Carolina | Gainesville |
March 1 | Sunday | at Georgia | Athens, Ga. |
March 4 | Wednesday | SEC Tournament 1st Rd. | Greenville, S.C. |
March 5 | Thursday | SEC Tournament 2nd Rd. | Greenville, S.C. |
March 6 | Friday | SEC Tournament QF | Greenville, S.C. |
March 7 | Saturday | SEC Tournament SF | Greenville, S.C. |
March 8 | Sunday | SEC Tournament Final | Greenville, S.C. |
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