The end of the regular season and start of the 2026 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament is less than a week away.
No. 19 Ole Miss is already positioned to earn a first-round bye and will enter the tournament as either a No. 5-, 6- or 7-seed. The exact seeding will depend on what happens in the final two games this week, which is why the Rebels are focusing on their next opponent, Florida.
“Right now, we’re focused on Florida,” Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said. “Florida is a must-win for us if we want to keep making a case for us to be able to host. Wo we’re going to go there and play with a sense of urgency.”
The Rebels are coming off of what McPhee-McCuin called a “brutal” week that saw them play four ranked opponents in seven days, including two of the nation’s best teams in No. 3 South Carolina and No. 7 LSU.
“It doesn’t get any better than that because they expose you. There are things you can learn from it,” McPhee-McCuin said. “With these next two games, hopefully when you see us play, you see us put it all together.”
We’ll get our first chance to see Ole Miss put it all together Thursday night. Here’s everything to know about the matchup against the Gators.
The Opponent: Florida
Florida’s offense starts with Liv McGill, and there’s really no way around it. As a sophomore she’s already one of the most productive guards in the country, putting up 22.6 points per game — second in the SEC and top‑10 nationally — and doing it without turning into a one‑dimensional scorer. She’s just as comfortable setting the table, averaging 6.1 assists, and she jumps passing lanes well enough to grab 2.6 steals a night.
The help around her is steady, too. Me’Arah O’Neal has grown into a reliable No. 2 option, giving the Gators 13.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and some rim protection at 1.4 blocks per game. Laila Reynolds adds another 12.6 points, giving Florida a trio that can score in different ways and keep defenses honest.
Stylistically, Florida isn’t shy about getting downhill and drawing contact. The Gators get to the line more than 20 times per game. Combine that with McGill’s usage and the supporting scoring around her, and they sit at 73.6 points per game, a number that reflects both volume and balance more than pure efficiency.
The record doesn’t totally match the profile, though. Florida’s SEC losses have mostly been tight (five of the 10 by 10 points or fewer) and even with the losing mark, they still carry a +7.6 scoring margin. They’ve been in almost every game they’ve played. They just haven’t closed enough of them.
How to Watch: No. 19 Ole Miss at Florida
- Who: No. 19 Ole Miss Rebels (21-8, 8-6 SEC) at Florida Gators (16-13, 4-10 SEC)
- When: 5 p.m., Thursday
- Where: O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Fla.
- TV: SEC Network
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Ole Miss leads the all-time series 26-24
- Last Meeting: Ole Miss 94, Florida 69 (January 16, 2025)
- Last time out, Rebels: lost to No. 3 South Carolina, 85-48
- Last time out, Gators: lost to No. 25 Alabama, 76-71
Ole Miss Top Performers
- Points: Cotie McMahon, 20.0
- Rebounds: Christeen Iwuala, 8.6 rpg
- Assists: Cotie McMahon, 84 (2.9 avg.)
- Steals: Sira Thienou, 44 (1.6 avg.)
- Blocks: Latasha Lattimore, 64 (2.2 avg.)
Florida Top Performers
- Points: Liv McGill, 22.6 ppg
- Rebounds: Me’arah O’Neal, 6.7 rpg
- Assists: Liv McGill, 164 (6.1 avg.)
- Steals: Liv McGill, 71 (2.6 avg.)
- Blocks: Me’arah O’Neal, 41 (1.5 avg.)
Student-Athlete Availability Report
Ole Miss
Out
- #0 Sira Thienou
Questionable
- #4 Jayla Murray
Florida
- All available.
Odds, Spread, Totals
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread
- Ole Miss: -5.5 (-108)
- Florida: +5.5 (-122)
Moneyline
- Ole Miss: -240
- Florida: +174
Total
- Over: 139.5 (-114)
- Under: 139.5 (-114)
