Florida
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (11/07/2026) — Vivian Iwuchukwu scored 19 points and Kiyomi McMiller added 16 as the Florida Gators women's basketball team held on for a 64-58 road victory over Chattanooga at McKenzie Arena on Saturday, surviving nine lead changes and eight ties in a battle-tested non-conference win.
How It Happened
Florida never led by more than a handful of possessions for most of the afternoon. Chattanooga's Izzy McPherson set an aggressive tone early, draining a turnaround jumper to open the scoring before the Gators answered through Moriah Murray's three-pointer, assisted by Iwuchukwu, to claim their first lead at 4-2.
The first half remained a back-and-forth affair. McPherson hit back-to-back three-pointers in the second quarter — including a step-back from 24 feet — to push Chattanooga to a 21-19 edge. Lydia Ledford extended that margin to 24-19 with a deep three off a Sarah Owona assist, threatening to let the Mocs pull away. Florida answered through Jade Weathersby, who buried a three-pointer off a Vanessa Harris feed with 45 seconds left to level the score at 24-24 heading to halftime.
The third quarter offered more of the same. Chattanooga's Gabbie Grooms scored on consecutive possessions — a 19-footer and a layup — to briefly put the Mocs ahead, only for Iwuchukwu to respond each time, including two layups assisted by McMiller. The lead traded hands repeatedly, with Grooms sinking a 25-foot three-pointer with 1:20 remaining to narrow Florida's edge to 39-38. After Chattanooga tied the game at 40, Iwuchukwu converted a free throw to give Florida a 41-40 edge entering the final period.
Turning Point
Florida's decisive sequence came at the outset of the fourth quarter. With the game knotted at 40, the Gators broke the tie with a 7-0 run — capped by Murray's 23-foot three-pointer at 9:43 of the fourth — that pushed the lead to 44-40. That stretch gave Florida the separation it had been unable to sustain through three quarters and proved to be the decisive blow. Chattanooga never regained the lead, though the Mocs trimmed the deficit to six late, with Stovall's three-pointer pulling it to 62-56 with 25 seconds left. McMiller converted two late free throws to seal the final at 64-58.
Star of the Game
Iwuchukwu was Florida's engine from start to finish. The forward finished with 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, and her activity in the third quarter — when she scored on back-to-back possessions to answer Chattanooga surges — was central to keeping the Gators afloat during the game's most volatile stretch. McMiller was nearly as impactful with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, threading passes into Iwuchukwu on consecutive third-quarter layups. Weathersby's 12-rebound effort gave Florida a meaningful edge on the boards, where the Gators outrebounded Chattanooga 46-42.
What It Means
For the Florida Gators, the win demonstrated both the team's offensive firepower and its resilience in a genuinely competitive road environment. Florida shot 38 percent from the field against a physical Chattanooga defense, and while 18 percent from three-point range leaves room to sharpen, the Gators found enough answers when they needed them — particularly Weathersby's halftime-tying triple and the fourth-quarter surge. Thirteen turnovers are worth monitoring as the schedule intensifies.
For Chattanooga, the performance was not without merit before a crowd of 3,335 at McKenzie Arena. McPherson's 15-point effort — built largely on difficult three-point attempts — showed why the Mocs can compete with higher-profile programs. Grooms (11 points) and Stovall (11 points) each contributed, and Ledford anchored the glass with 9 points and 7 rebounds. The Mocs simply ran out of answers when Florida imposed its will in the first minutes of the fourth quarter.
