Every time a Gator scored, a Paladin scored. Every time a Paladin rebounded, a Gator did too. Neither team could pull away, and by the end of the first period, it was all tied up and anyone’s game.
For the next three quarters, the teams battled back and forth, with neither team being able to sustain any true momentum.
That changed in the fourth period. Florida’s offense kicked into gear, playing solid, clean basketball en route to a double-digit victory.
Florida (12-3) bounced back from a season-high 23 turnovers in its previous outing with an 82-66 win over Furman (6-7) on Sunday at Exactech Arena in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Despite a turnover-heavy first quarter, the Gators settled in offensively and handed the Paladins their seventh loss of the season.
The saving grace for the Gators was sophomore guard Me’Arah O’Neal. O’Neal provided early stability inside, scoring eight of Florida’s first 10 points and drawing multiple fouls in the paint. O’Neal ended the night with 22 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and three steals.
The opening 10 minutes were sluggish for the Gators. Florida turned the ball over nine times in the first quarter, including on its opening possession, allowing Furman to keep the game tied at 14 heading into the second.
However, Florida found its rhythm in the second quarter. Liv McGill and Laila Reynolds pushed the tempo, with McGill setting up the offense and Reynolds attacking off the dribble to create scoring chances and keep Furman on its heels. The Gators outscored the Paladins 26-19 in the period and went into halftime with a 40-35 lead.
Reynolds finished with 19 points and five rebounds, while McGill added 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Turnovers and rebounding kept Furman within striking distance, though. The Paladins outrebounded Florida 23-18 in the first half and scored 14 points off turnovers. Furman found multiple scoring opportunities from sophomore guard Alyssa Ervin and sophomore forward Clare Coyle.
The two combined for 38 points on the night and consistently punished Florida’s mistakes, attacking in transition and finding open looks when the Gators struggled to get set defensively. The Paladins shot 42% from the field and forced 26 turnovers but couldn’t overcome Florida’s size advantage inside.
After a tight third frame, Florida put the game away in the final 10 minutes. Freshman forward Caterina Piatti opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back baskets in the paint, giving the Gators early separation and forcing Furman to burn a timeout.
Junior forward Kn’isha Godfrey followed with strong finishes in transition and at the rim, helping Florida extend the lead into double digits and maintain control down the stretch. The Gators led by as many as 18 in the closing minutes, sealing the win with steady offense and improved defensive pressure.
Florida finished shooting 50% from the field but struggled from deep, hitting just 2-of-18 from 3-point range. The Gators committed 18 turnovers but forced Furman into 26 of its own. In the end, Florida wound up on top.
While the Gators came away with a comfortable victory, the team will look to address areas like slow starts, turnovers, transition defense and free-throw shooting to sharpen their game ahead of conference competition.
The win marks Florida’s final non-conference game before SEC play begins Tuesday against Tennessee (8-3) at 2 p.m. in Knoxville at the Food City Center.
Contact Isis Snow at isnow@alligator.org. Follow her on X @isis_snoww.
Isis is a junior sports journalism student and is the volleyball beat reporter for fall 2025. This is her third semester with The Alligator. She enjoys reading, playing basketball and weight lifting in her free time.
