Florida Women’s Basketball: Florida advances to the WBIT Semifinals

The Gators make their first tourney semifinal since 2013. 

By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com

Gators celebrate one the biggest wins in program history (GatorBait photo)

Thursday night as the Gator men were making their march toward the Elite Eight the Florida Women’s Basketball team was making their own mark at the O’Connell Center knocking off the Texas Tech Lady Raiders 67-63 in the quarterfinals of the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT). The win punched the Gators ticket to the tournament semifinals, and it is the first trip for the Gators to a semifinal of any postseason tournament since 2013. That season the Gators reached the semifinals of the Women’s NIT under former coach Amanda Butler. The semifinals will be held at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Monday March 31, with the Finals to follow two days later. 

Against Texas Tech the Gators dominated inside with 32 points in the paint including 21 points from senior center Ra’Shaya Kyle who also added 12 rebounds for her 16th double-double of the season. Freshman Liv McGill continued her stellar freshman season leading the Gators with 22 points and 6 assists. The win was another bullet point in the tenure of their coach Kelly Rae Finley, who continues to build a program that is on the cusp of national recognition.

In three years as head coach (one as interim), Finley has never had a losing season. She has led the Gators to four consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since 2014 and is one of two coaches in program history to compete in a postseason event in each of their first four years as head coach. Finley’s five sec tournament wins is the most by a Gator coach in their first four seasons, and her .555 winning percentage in the SEC is the highest of any coach in program history.

While Finley continues to put her head down and grind despite setbacks, it is the culture within the Hatchcock Basketball Facility that sets this program apart from others. “It’s been really fun and really exciting”, Kyle stated when talking about this season. “I’ve just had a lot of help a lot of everything from everybody in all the years that I’ve been here”. Kyle continued to express how much fun she has had in her final season with the Gators. “This year has been so fun, I mean fun doesn’t describe it, this is the best that we have been together”. While winning is always fun Finley will look to keep the Gators focused on the task at hand, two more wins and an opportunity to raise the first banner in program history. An accomplishment that could be a springboard to an even more successful year next season. “I think what we’ve learned what it takes throughout this season, and I fully expect us to be playing this weekend next year, just in a different tournament”.

Florida caach Kelly Rae Finley, Live McGill, and Ra'Shaya Kyle (GatorBait photo)

The Gators will face the Minnesota Lady Gophers in the WBIT seminal Monday March 31 at 5pm on ESPNU. The trip to Indianapolis will be special for Finley, Liv McGill, and Kyle as all hail from the Midwest. Finley and McGill will be facing their home state of Minnesota in the semifinals while Kyle is from nearby Marion, Indiana where her jersey is retired and there is a day named in her honor. All three will be well represented by family and friends in the Hoosier state.