With four minutes left in the second quarter, Florida briefly found momentum. Guard Emilija Dakic hit back-to-back threes, and a Laila Reynolds steal led to an Alexia Dizeko basket, tying the game at 23 with Georgia.
It would be the only tie of the game. Florida (17-14, 5-11 SEC) fell to the Bulldogs (22-8, 8-8 SEC) 71-58 on the road in Athens, Georgia.
After jumping out to an 8-0 start, Georgia dictated the tempo for most of the first quarter, outshooting Florida and controlling the boards.
The Gators briefly clawed their way back, tying the game at 23 with nearly three minutes to go in the first half, but that spark was short-lived. The Bulldogs answered with a crushing 16-0 run that stretched across the final minutes of the first half and into the second, effectively putting the game out of reach. In a contest defined by scoring droughts, Florida opened and closed the half ice-cold.
The Gators’ offensive struggles were especially apparent in the first quarter, when the Gators went nearly the entire period without a field goal, converting just once with a minute to go. That offensive stagnation lingered, as Florida shot 31.8% from the field and just 16.7% from three in the half. For the game, just 24% from three and 37% overall.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s stars showed out.
Georgia guard Dani Carnegie, who was coming off a lackluster performance against Texas, which saw her shoot just 1-8 with six turnovers, caught fire. She accounted for 15 of Georgia’s 35 first-half points, knocking down 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. She finished with 26 points and five three-pointers, consistently halting any Florida momentum before it could build.
Bulldogs forward Mia Woolfolk dominated inside, shooting 7 of 10 from the field and finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds, giving Georgia a dominating presence inside.
Florida was unable to hold any momentum on the glass. Georgia owned a 24-15 rebounding advantage by halftime, including seven offensive boards that created second chances and stifled any attempt at sustained Florida momentum. The Gators managed just one offensive rebound and only 10 points in the paint.
Florida’s Liv McGill, the SEC’s second-leading scorer, was held without a made field goal, finishing with five points, all from the free throw line, in the first half. For the game, McGill was held under double figures for the first time in the 2025-26 season, finishing with eight points, five rebounds and nine assists.
Nyadieng Yiech was the only Gator able to reach double figures, notching 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
Georgia’s defensive gameplan was centered around McGill, who was often swarmed by the Georgia defense, facing double teams, with the Bulldog defense collapsing on her drives nearly every possession.
The discrepancy would only continue throughout, with Georgia outrebounding Florida 42-30 and tripling the Gators’ offensive rebounds 9 to 3.
Georgia stretched its advantage to as many as 24 points and led for nearly the entire night, keeping Florida in a constant uphill climb.
Despite more life offensively in the second half, especially in transition, where the Gators outscored Georgia 12-4 on fast breaks, the early damage proved too significant to overcome.
The Gators look to the SEC Tournament beginning March 4 in Greenville, South Carolina, as they begin their tournament run.
Contact Logan McBride at lmcbride@alligator.org. Follow him on X @LoganDMcBride.
Logan McBride is a journalism junior and a Spring 2026 track and field reporter. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV shows or playing basketball at Southwest Rec. He is also a big football fan and will die for Dak Prescott.
