With five seconds left in the first half, Florida had the ball. Off of a fast break, Alexia Dizeko found the basketball in her hands and let it fly from beyond the arc. Just as the time ran out, the ball went in, putting the Gators up by 21 points.
Florida (10-2) defeated West Georgia (4-4) in the Exactech Arena at the O’Connell Center Sunday afternoon, maintaining its undefeated record at home. The Gators bulldozed the Wolves 85-41 in an all-out display of depth and talent.
From the jump, Florida had its foot on the gas. By the end of the first quarter, the Gators had a 13-point lead and held West Georgia to five points. Florida’s dominance continued throughout the night.
The team ended with a 43% field goal percentage and 84% free throw percentage, as well as 18 offensive rebounds, 34 defensive rebounds, 12 steals and 24 assists.
Sophomore forward Me’Arah O’Neal anchored the Gators’ performance inside, leading the team with 17 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
On one defensive possession, O’Neal blocked consecutive shot attempts to force a shot-clock violation, then – on the other end – followed it up with two layups and a three-pointer on back-to-back trips.
West Georgia had trouble containing O’Neal in the paint, giving her multiple second-chance free throw opportunities. The Wolves also struggled finding the basket, finishing 20% from the field and 5% from beyond the arc.
For Florida, graduate guard Alexia Dizeko contributed on both ends, taking three charges and adding a key three-pointer before halftime. She finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Florida’s bench also touched the floor early on — and made an impact. Junior forward Jade Weathersby broke her career record for most points in a game with 13. Her previous record, which she set last Sunday against South Alabama, was four points.
“I’m making progress more and more, and I feel like tonight was just a little hint of what I'm ready to show overall this season,” Weathersby said after Sunday’s game.
Sophomore guard Liv McGill also influenced the game, finishing with 12 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. She consistently moved the ball and helped create scoring opportunities as Florida spread the offense across the floor.
During one fast break attempt, McGill had a wide-open lane to the basket. But instead of taking the shot, she passed it up to her teammate, freshman guard Emilija Dakic, to get the easy layup.
By halftime, it was clear West Georgia would struggle to overcome the 21-point lead. And despite efforts from sophomore guard Asia Donlad, who recorded 20 points and two rebounds, the Wolves stayed behind.
Florida continued to extend the lead in the second half, limiting West Georgia’s scoring opportunities and rotating through its lineup as the clock wound down. The Wolves were unable to close the gap, and the Gators closed out the game without allowing a sustained run, securing the 44-point win.
The Gators came off a week-long break, which they used to recover and refocus on fundamentals, said Florida head coach Kelly Finley. The recovery time paid off, as the players’ energy and control shone throughout the game.
Looking ahead, Florida will face its first SEC opponent, Tennessee (6-2), on New Year’s Day, marking the start of a critical stretch of conference play. Head coach Finley highlighted the importance of improving transition defense and mentally anticipating what the team has to do next.
“I think us continuing to push ourselves and challenge ourselves in the pace of our decision making is going to be critical moving into conference play,” she said.
The Gators next matchup is against Florida A&M (0-8) in the O’Dome at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
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.
