Box Score  | SEC Network+ Recap | Postgame Press Conference | Highlights

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida women's basketball team improved to 4-0 Monday, earning a 60-46 victory over Presbyterian at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
 
Playing in front of a raucous crowd packed with over 1,000 local elementary students for the program's second annual Field Trip Day, the Gators extended their record to 4-0 for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign.
 
The Gators featured four double-figure scorers for the second-straight game, led by freshman Lavender Briggs who held the team high in points. Briggs finished with 11 as she paced the Gators offensively for the third time in as many games. Her backcourt mate Kiki Smith also added 11 as she scored 10 or more for the third time this year.
 
Redshirt-senior Zada Williams and Ariel Johnson each tallied 10 of their own and the veteran Williams finished just shy of a double-double with a game-high nine rebounds.
 
A game after tying the arena record for the most three-pointers with 13, Florida's long-range shooting stalled a bit but the Gators exerted their will down low outscoring Presbyterian 30-8 in points in the paint.
 
Florida opened with a 7-0 scoring run and would never trail in the matchup as they dispatched the Blue Hose in the first-ever meeting between the squads.
 
UF led by as many as 16 late, but Presbyterian hung tough all morning thanks to 10 three-pointers as a team and a career-high 20 points from junior Jade Compton.
 
In a similar fashion to Saturday's game, Florida started the game with a lengthy scoring run with seven-straight. Presbyterian countered with a 6-0 spurt though after being on the ropes early. After some back-and-forth play, Florida carried a 14-12 lead at the end of the first. Presbyterian connected on four of its seven three-pointers as it kept pace with the Gators.
 
The Gators came out of the gates locked in in the second, scoring the frame's first nine points. Florida built a double-digit lead after a Brylee Bartram three from the wing, but Presbyterian scored on the final possession of the quarter to trim the advantage to 30-21 heading into halftime.
 
Johnson picked up right where she left off after a career high Saturday vs. Samford, scoring 10 points in the first half. The California native knocked down a pair of three-pointers. Compton led all scorers with 15 points at the break and the Blue Hose scored 18 of their 21 points from beyond the arc.
 
Presbyterian sliced into the Gator lead in the third, scoring eight of the first 10 points in the quarter to narrow the gap to just 37-34. UF weathered the storm with a late run and led 45-38 heading into the final period.
 
Florida closed out the Blue Hose in the fourth, making five of its seven shot attempts and allowing just eight points. Smith saved her best for last, registering six points in the final quarter.
 
Compton entered the game shooting 0-for-5 from three-point range, but caught fire with five 3-pointers.

Sophomore Kristina Moore added eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor while freshman Nina Rickards provided a spark with seven points and eight boards off the bench. 

Florida is set to take on back-to-back top 25 foes in Indiana (No. 21, AP) on Friday, Nov. 22 and Florida State (No. 17, AP) on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Both contests will be played at the O'Connell Center.
 
UP NEXT
Friday, Nov. 22 | 6 p.m. ET
Florida (4-0) vs. No. 21 Indiana (3-0)
Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center 

QUOTABLES
Head Coach Cam Newbauer

Opening Statement…
"We knew that was going to be a tough game. The zone they play is really crafty and funky and
with only one day to prepare for that, all we did was show they some film and walk through
some things. I've never played against that defense in 19 years as a coach. It's one where you've got to get a
feel for it and you saw later in the game — we got a better feel for it.
 
Hats off to them for hard they played and how scrappy they were. Defensively is what got it
done for us. Coach Sharpe did a really good job at having her group playing so stinking hard at
both ends of the floor and attacking us and putting us on our heels at times. It was a great challenge for us and just proud we took care of business and didn't doubt ourselves."
 
On the Field Trip Day crowd…
"I want to say thank you to the local schools because it was pretty cool to have all of those
elementary school kids here and their teachers and chaperones. Hopefully, it was a great
experience for them and it gave us some good energy. They were loud. The players got to sign
some autographs with them. Thank you to the Gainesville community for supporting us like they
always do and coming out to the game."
 
On competitive play in the second half…
"Just wanted to keep pushing the tempo. The best way to beat a zone is to beat it down the floor
and not let it get set. For us to hang on and win the way we did was great. You want to come out
and throw that first punch if possible."
 
On what the team can improve on for upcoming games…
"Just getting better everyday with the toughness and physicality, it's going to take that. Playing tough
offensively through taking contact and finishing at the rim. The team that we'll play, Indiana on
Friday, their playing really well right now and scoring a lot of points. We've got to be physical
and more poised."
 
Lavender Briggs
On picking up where she left off Saturday…
"I came out with the same mindset as before, just shoot. I was missing a lot of shots but I just kept shooting. Coach kept saying, you can't score if you don't shoot."
 
On playing in front of the elementary school students…
"It was super fun. They're energetic the entire time, and it gave us energy and made us have good focus."
 
Ariel Johnson
On having a balanced team…
"That's one of the benefits we have this year. With our team, all of us are pretty good, all of us can score. We're all aggressive and having that mindset to win, to play hard, and let it happen."
 
On achieving career highs in steals and assists…
"I don't really think about that too much. Whatever comes to me, comes to me. If someone helps, if I see that person, I just dish it out. I don't really think about it too much."
 
Notables

• Florida improves to 4-0 for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
• The Gators are now 11-2 against the Big South and 1-0 vs. Presbyterian.
• Florida played in front of a season-high1,629 fans.
• Florida took the edge in rebounding for the third consecutive game, 39-35, over Presbyterian.
• The Gators forced 21 Presbyterian turnovers, accounting for 14 points in return throughout the contest.
  • Monday marked the second time this season forcing 20-plus turnovers (21 vs. Grambling St., 11/5/19)
• Florida had two players hit at least two 3-pointers in the contest for the third consecutive game (Briggs - 2, Johnson - 2)
• The Gators used an 11-0 run in the second quarter that saw four different Gators score to earn their first double-digit lead of the contest at 6:08, 23-12 (5-9 FG, 1-4 3FG, 3 STLs)
• Florida largest lead of the contest came at 1:02 in the fourth quarter, 59-43 (16 points)

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