Liv McGill drove into the lane but ran into traffic. She kicked the ball out to the corner, finding Emilija Dakic just beyond the arc with no defender. The freshman caught and fired, draining the triple to give Florida its first lead of the night.
But that would be the only time the Gators led the contest. Florida (12-4) dropped its Southeastern Conference home opener 74-63 to No. 3 South Carolina (15-1) in a thrilling matchup at the Exactech Arena in the Stephen O’Connell Center.
From the jump, the 6,006 attendees in the arena were electric. And as each team’s score grew, so did the volume. First, it was the Gamecocks fans, screaming praise for senior center Madina Okot, whose first points were off of an and-one layup.
Next, it was the Gator fans, cheering for freshman forward Nyandieng Yiech as she sank a three-pointer moments after subbing into the game.
In the second quarter, when a jumper by Florida’s sophomore guard Liv McGill tied the match at 22, the tension in the arena became palpable. McGill finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists, but Florida struggled to generate consistent offense around her as the Gamecocks regained control.
“[McGill]’s dynamic, spectacular, can carry a team,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said.
Florida’s other leading scorer, sophomore forward Me’Arah O’Neal, had a performance below her season averages. She ended the night with eight points, two rebounds and one assist. After picking up two costly fouls early in the first half and battling against taller post players, she had limited scoring opportunities.
South Carolina quickly regained the lead three minutes after Dakic’s go-ahead shot and kept it from there. However, a subsequent UF seven-point run kept the Gators at arms length going into the final ten minutes.
The Gators shot 4-for-23 (17.4%) from beyond the arc, compared to South Carolina’s modest but still better 5-for-21 (23.8%), limiting Florida’s ability to keep pace offensively.
Meanwhile, South Carolina dominated the glass, with 6-foot-6 center Okot leading the way with a whopping 17 rebounds. The Gamecocks outrebounded Florida 59–36, with 26 of those rebounds for USC were offensive. Behind Okot, sophomore forward Joyce Edwards added 10 boards as USC controlled second-chance opportunities throughout the night.
Also, free throws were a major separator. South Carolina got to the line early and often, going 21-for-31, while Florida attempted nearly half as many free throws (15-for-17), allowing the Gamecocks to pad their lead despite poor shooting from the field.
Despite the UF’s loss, South Carolina committed a season-high 21 turnovers, a product of Florida’s defensive pressure. Head coach Dawn Staley credited the Gators for forcing the pace.
“Florida sped us up,” Staley said. “They made us play faster than our skillset could handle. I think we were just rushed.”
Florida head coach Kelly Rae Finley said the defensive effort was a point of emphasis.
“South Carolina is a very disciplined team,” said Florida head coach Kelly Rae Finley. “They’re determined to get what they want, and I think we did a good job of keeping them out of that rhythm.”
Notably, Dakic broke her career-high for most points in a game with 10 points, hitting key shots to shift momentum toward Florida. In Sunday’s game, she played the most minutes of her career and tied her record for most rebounds and steals.
“She’s steady, she’s consistent, she’s bought in,” Finley said about Dakic.
The energy in Exactech Arena remained high throughout, a reflection of the rivalry and intensity of SEC play. In a matchup that swung back and forth early, South Carolina ultimately pulled away, leaving Florida to regroup as conference play continues.
Florida’s next meeting is against Texas A&M (7-4) on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Exactech Arena in the Stephen C. O’Connell 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.
