Lady Vols basketball heads back on the road with a three-game winning streak.
No. 13 Tennessee (20-6, 7-6 SEC) will play at Florida (14-13, 5-8) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network). The Lady Vols are coming off an 88-80 win over No. 19 Alabama on Thursday, and the Gators beat Texas A&M 74-52.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup.
Liv McGill is Florida women’s basketball’s star freshman
Freshman guard Liv McGill has been a welcome addition for Florida this season. She leads the team averaging 16.5 points, 5.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 30.6 minutes per game.
McGill has hit 33.1% from behind the arc on 39 made 3-pointers. Senior guard Jeriah Warren, who averages 12.1 points, leads the team shooting 40% on 50 made 3-pointers.
Senior center Ra Shaya Kyle averages 14.8 points and gives Florida size in the paint. Kyle has 12 double-doubles, and her nine rebounds per game rank fifth in the SEC.
Lady Vols can cause turnover havoc for Florida
Florida has struggled against the high-pressure defenses in the SEC. The Gators averaged 23.4 turnovers against Ole Miss, LSU, Auburn and South Carolina, and their highest tally was 29 turnovers against Ole Miss. Opponents scored 30.5 points off turnovers in those four games.
The Lady Vols need to take advantage of Florida’s turnover habit and put high pressure on its ball handlers. They can’t let the Gators pass through their press, and they have to execute in their half court defense.
Kim Caldwell beat Florida last season
Florida played a game at Marshall last season during Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell’s lone season leading the Herd.
It didn’t end well for the Gators, who crumbled down the stretch. Marshall trailed 88-81 with 3:28 left, but then it held Florida scoreless the rest of the game to win 91-88. Marshall scored 26 points off turnovers and shot 13-of-33 from 3-point range.
Lady Vols can break trend of weaker road games
Tennessee is coming off three wins at home, but it hasn’t had its best performances on the road in SEC play as of late. The Lady Vols lost to Vanderbilt by one point and barely escaped Missouri with a win. The Lady Vols’ strongest road game was against Texas when they lost by four.
Florida is a team Tennessee should dominate, and Sunday is a chance to have a strong showing on the road. Caldwell said after Thursday’s win that Florida is a huge game for them.
“Last time we went to Missouri, we didn’t do what we were supposed to do. So just making sure that we come out focused, we come out playing hard,” Caldwell said. “Anytime you’re on the road, you kind of get a little nervous, and we’ve been kind of spoiled the last week.”
FRESHMAN: Why freshman Kaniya Boyd was crucial for Kim Caldwell, Lady Vols in must-win game vs Alabama
Lady Vols vs Florida injury updates
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Tennessee is without senior guard Kaiya Wynn, who’s out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
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Florida had all of its players available against Texas A&M on Thursday.
How to watch Tennessee vs Florida: Time, TV channel, live stream
Lady Vols vs. Florida tips off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday and will be streamed on SEC Network. The game can also be streamed on the ESPN app when logged into a TV provider like Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Tennessee vs Florida prediction
Tennessee 85, Florida 67: The Lady Vols stacked wins at home and they’ll keep that trend going with a top-16 seed for the NCAA Tournament within their grasp. Florida doesn’t have the depth to keep up with Tennessee, which should get a dominant win on the road.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee vs Florida score prediction for Kim Caldwell, Lady Vols
