Ole Miss Women's Basketball vs. Florida Gators Start Time and TV Channel in SEC Clash

OXFORD, Miss. – In its final regular season game on the road, Ole Miss women's basketball will look to earn its eighth straight win against Florida on Thursday, February 26. Tipoff in Gainesville will be at 5 p.m. CT, airing on SEC Network.

TEAM FACTS
No. 19/20 Ole Miss Rebels (21-8, 8-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin • 8th Season at Ole Miss (146-103) • 13th Season in Career (240-166)

Florida Gators (16-13, 4-10 SEC)
Head Coach: Kelly Rae Finley • 5th Season at Fla. (91-73) • 5th Season in Career (91-73)

ON THE AIR
Television: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Tiffany Greene
Color: Carolyn Peck

OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Graham Doty

SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's matchup marks the 51st between the Rebels and the Gators in a series that dates to 1979. Ole Miss holds a 26-24 series advantage and have won the past six straight against Florida. Both teams have been road warriors against each other, with Florida owning a 13-10 record in Oxford while Ole Miss is 12-10 in Gainesville.

Ole Miss began the series on an eight-game winning streak, which is still the largest by the Rebels in the series (though a win on Thursday would tie that streak). The Rebels opened the series with a 101-78 victory on March 8, 1979.

The victory came in the first round of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Region III Tournament. The Rebels rejected 11 Gator shots in that game, which is still tied for sixth-most in a single game by an Ole Miss squad in program history.

Ole Miss didn't allow Florida to win its first head-to-head matchup until 1993, when Florida squeaked out a 69-65 victory in Oxford.

All of Ole Miss' past seven victories against Florida, spanning to 2022, have been won by double figures. Its most impressive win came on Feb. 5, 2023, when the Rebels stomped the Gators, 68-42. The 26-point victory is the largest by Ole Miss in the series.

The Rebels held the Gators to 24.1% from the field, the lowest field goal percentage Ole Miss had held an SEC team to in 20 seasons to that point. Angel Baker, Madison Scott and Marquesha Davis went for double figures on the day, with Baker scoring a game-high 18. Rita Igbokwe snagged 11 rebounds to lead the field.

Last season's bout was just as impressive as 2023's victory. Ole Miss won by 25 points behind a career day from Sira Thienou. She scored a career high 29 points on 12 field goals and led the team defensively with seven rebounds. Starr Jacobs added 19 points while Kennedy Todd-Williams had 12 points.

SCOUTING THE GATORS
Kelly Rae Finley is in her fifth season as Florida's head women's basketball coach. She's accumulated an overall record of 91-73 in the five years she's spent with the Gators. This season, Florida sits at 16-13 overall with a 4-10 SEC mark.

Liv McGill has been an offensive stalwart for Florida as just a sophomore. She's averaging 22.6 points per game this season, which is second in the SEC behind only Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes. Her scoring average is eighth in the country. She's also a highly capable passer and averages 6.1 assists per game. What makes her a triple threat is her defensive prowess, as she averages 2.6 steals per game, eighth in the conference.

Me'Arah O'Neal and Laila Reynolds back McGill offensively. O'Neal averages 13.8 points per game and is also Florida's best rebounder and blocker, recording 6.7 and 1.4 per game, respectively. Reynolds averages 12.6 points per game.

Ole Miss Rebels Women's Basketball. — Courtesy of Desrae Kyles' X/Twitter: @KDesrae.

Like Ole Miss, Florida is highly capable at reaching the free throw line, doing so 20.79 times per game on average. The Gators make around 15 of those attempts per game.

Behind McGill, Florida has shown competitive scoring and balanced offensive contributions, leading to an average of 73.6 points per game this season. The Gators' efficiency rating and strength of schedule places them mid-tier nationally.

Despite its losing SEC record, Florida still has a positive scoring margin at 7.6 points. Many of its games have come down to the wire. Of its 10 SEC losses, half of them came within 10 points or fewer, but the same could be said about its four SEC wins as well.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Rebels, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas Longhorns Among Top Schools for Elite WR

Ole Miss Football and Texas Longhorns Pushing to Flip Coveted WR Committed to SEC Foe

Every Ole Miss Football Player That Received an Invitation to the 2026 NFL Combine

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.