Florida women’s basketball has seen numerous victories outside of Gainesville this past week. The Gators defeated Mississippi State in Starkville, assistant coach Rhyne Howard led USA Basketball to a win over Senegal in Belgium, and Florida signee Me’Arah O’Neal was crowned a state champion in Texas.
Over the weekend O’Neal, alongside her teammates at Episcopal High School, defeated Kinkaid 66-54 to win the Southwest Prepatory Conference Class 4A girls state basketball title. O’Neal dominated on offense and led in scoring with 28 points. Her performance was far from easy, as the 6-foot-3 senior faced multiple players covering her in the low post. O’Neal has adapted to being the center of several opposing defenses and has become an all-around better team player because of it.
The state champion will travel to Gainesville later this week to watch her future teammates take on Ole Miss Thursday night. O’Neal is excited to spend time with UF coach Kelly Rae Finley and the Gators as they look to extend their two-game winning streak.