GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Florida Gators delivered a dominant performance Thursday night, overwhelming the Samford Bulldogs 87-40 in a non-conference women’s basketball game at the O’Connell Center.

From the opening tip, Florida’s defense set a suffocating tone, holding Samford to a single point in the second quarter. The Gators built a commanding 41-8 halftime lead, capitalizing on a 27-1 second-quarter run that effectively decided the contest. Samford’s eight first-half points marked a season low for any Florida opponent.

The Gators’ offensive efficiency was starkly superior. They shot 54.8 percent from the floor, while the Bulldogs struggled, making only 13 of 52 attempts for a 25 percent clip. Florida’s dominance was most evident in the paint, where they outscored Samford 46-14, and off turnovers, where they held a 27-8 advantage.

Liv McGill, a guard from Minneapolis, led all scorers with 20 points and dished out a game-high seven assists. She was instrumental in orchestrating the Gators’ offensive onslaught.

Florida’s frontcourt provided an overwhelming physical presence. Nyadieng Yiech of Calgary, Canada, scored 18 points in just 14 minutes off the bench, and Houston native Me’Arah O’Neal added 18 points and a block in 26 minutes of action. Laila Reynolds from PG County, Maryland, chipped in 12 points and two blocks.

Samford, which fell to 1-2 on the season, showed a brief spark after halftime, outscoring Florida 20-26 in the third quarter, but the deficit was far too large to overcome. Briana Rivera, an Orlando native, led the Bulldogs with 10 points. Kaylee Yarbrough added seven points for Samford.

The Gators improved to a perfect 4-0 record in front of an announced crowd of 1,238 fans. They will look to continue their winning streak on the road against Navy on Sunday. Samford, which previously lost to Nebraska and defeated Montevallo, will travel to face Florida A&M on Saturday.