GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Florida Gators used a dominant fourth-quarter performance and a career-high 27 points from guard Liv McGill to pull away from the Florida State Seminoles for an 89-67 victory in a women’s basketball matchup on Thursday night at the O’Connell Center.

A crowd of 1,746 watched the Gators improve to 5-1 on the season, while the Seminoles fell to an even 3-3.

The game was a tale of contrasting offensive efficiency. Florida’s offense operated with precision, scoring 89 points on 85 possessions for an offensive rating of 104.2. The Gators shot 47 percent from the floor and dished out 20 assists. Florida State, meanwhile, struggled to find a consistent rhythm, posting an offensive rating of 79.6 by scoring 67 points on 84 possessions and committing 25 turnovers.

Florida’s defense was relentless, matching its 20 assists with 20 steals, which directly fueled its transition game. The Seminoles managed to hang around for three quarters, but were ultimately undone by their ball-handling issues against the Gators’ pressure.

The first half was a tightly contested affair. Florida State’s Pania Davis, a 6-foot-6 center from Perth, Australia, established an early presence inside, helping the Seminoles keep pace. The Gators held a narrow 41-34 lead at halftime, with McGill and Laila Reynolds providing the bulk of the scoring.

The third quarter saw Florida begin to create separation, outscoring the Seminoles 21-11 to take a 62-45 lead into the final period. The Gators then put the game completely out of reach with a 27-point explosion in the fourth quarter, their highest-scoring period of the night.

McGill, a 5-foot-9 guard from Minneapolis, was the catalyst for Florida. In 39 minutes of action, she filled the stat sheet with 27 points, five assists and was a disruptive force on defense. She was complemented by a strong frontcourt performance from Reynolds and Me’Arah O’Neal. Reynolds, from PG County, Maryland, scored 21 points and added five assists. O’Neal, from Houston, contributed 18 points and was a physical presence on both ends.

For Florida State, Davis led the way with 19 points and three blocks in just 23 minutes of play. Solè Williams scored 15 points and Allie Kubek added 11, but the Seminoles could not overcome the Gators’ balanced attack and defensive intensity.

The loss marks Florida State’s second in a row, following a defeat to Indiana on Sunday. The Seminoles will look to rebound at home against Illinois on Sunday. Florida, which bounced back from its first loss of the season to Navy, travels to face Florida Atlantic on Monday.