Me’Arah O’Neal drove to the basket and was fouled hard while laying the ball into the hoop. She fell and landed on the ground while her team excitedly surrounded her, celebrating the and-one play that set her career high for most points in a game.
The Gators (7-1) faced off against the Memphis Tigers (4-3) in their first game of the Cayman Islands Classic Friday, securing a 74-60 victory. The Gators were aided by their leading scorer, sophomore guard Liv McGill, who was absent in Monday’s win versus Florida Atlantic.
Sophomore forward O’Neal opened the game with the first basket, setting the tone for her record-breaking night. She delivered a career-high 24 points and added nine rebounds.
“There’s always something to improve on,” O’Neal said.
The Tigers couldn’t keep up with O’Neal, or with McGill, who finished with 27 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Florida’s dominance came from its physical presence inside. The Gators outscored Memphis 44-26 in the paint and controlled the boards with a 51-37 rebounding advantage, including 18 offensive rebounds.
In the first half, both teams struggled from beyond the arc. The only player able to sink a three-pointer for Florida was sophomore guard Daviane Mindoudi Ongbakahoumb, whose shot put her team up by nine to end the first quarter. Florida finished 7% from the three-point line compared to Memphis’ 18.2%.
After a cold first half, Florida caught fire and shot over 60% in the second half while maintaining the lead for nearly the entire game. Even with 16 turnovers, the Gators’ size, pace and inside scoring proved too much for the Tigers to overcome.
Memphis was led by junior guard Daejah Richmond, who ended with 19 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
The team’s leading scorer and senior guard Chaè Harris was held to five points tonight, while she usually averages 18.3. Florida head coach Kelly Rae Finley credits this outcome to the defensive effort to graduate guard Alexia Dizeko.
“That’s what we need her to do for us to be as successful as we can be,” Finley said. “I thought she was outstanding again tonight.”
Dizeko contributed across the board, ending the night with eight points, seven rebounds, five assists and a steal.
By the fourth quarter, Florida’s pace and physicality proved overwhelming. The Gators built their largest lead of the night at 19, with O’Neal sealing her career-best performance on a layup late in the game.
With a dominant opening win in the tournament, Florida now looks ahead to its next test in the Caribbean. Florida will play its second and final game in the Cayman Islands against Georgia Tech (3-4) Saturday at 5 p.m.
“It's going to be a totally different game, much different than Memphis,” Finley said. “Put this game behind us and lean into the scout and the game plan for tomorrow.”
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.
