GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida women's basketball gave No. 13 Georgia all they could handle in a back-and-forth affair on Sunday afternoon in Exactech Arena, but the Bulldogs managed to pull away late for a 73-69 win in the Gators' Southeastern Conference opener.

Jordyn Merritt led the Gators' (10-4, 0-1 SEC) offensive effort with 18 points while also pulling down five rebounds, two steals and a block. Veteran Kiara Smith also filled up the stat sheet, ending with 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. Also crossing the double-digit threshold, Nina Rickards recorded 15 points with three rebounds and a block.

For the game, Florida shot 24-of-53 (45.3%) from the field and 7-of-18 (38.9%) from three-point range while Georgia (12-2, 1-1 SEC) knocked down 27-of-62 attempts (43.5%) from the floor and was just 1-of-6 (16.7%) from deep. The Bulldogs were led by Que Morrison with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists.

The game ended nearly even on the glass with the Bulldogs holding a slight edge at the horn, 35-33, helping them to a 12-6 advantage in second chance points. Florida, however, assisted on half of their makes for 12 in the game, finishing with 12 to Georgia's 10.

Defense proved to prove a major difference in the Bulldogs' victory, as Georgia forced the Gators into 26 turnovers, resulting in 29 points. The visitors also held a 22-9 edge in fast break points. The Orange & Blue's defense was no pushover however, forcing the thirteenth-ranked Bulldogs into 17 turnovers with 10 steals.

The Gators wasted no time in putting pressure on the visiting Bulldogs, using an 8-0 run early in the first quarter to take a 15-5 lead with 5:14 on the clock. After Georgia managed to close the gap to five, two late triples by Merritt would help the Gators hold a 25-14 lead after one. Merritt tallied 10 first quarter points.

Florida's was offensively dominant in the first quarter, ending 9-of-11 (81.8%) from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from long range. The defense also forced Georgia into six turnovers while holding the opposition to 5-of-15 from the field. After a second-quarter opening bucket from Georgia, a 7-0 spurt, capped off by a layup from Smith, extended the Gator lead to 32-16 at the 7:55 mark.

The Bulldogs, however, would not go away quietly. Ranked 13th in the nation for a reason, Georgia ended the half of a 17-2 run to close the Gator lead to just one heading into the break. The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair as both squads exchanged punches. Georgia claimed the lead at 37-36, but a Lavender Briggs layup and Merritt triple gave the Gators a four-point cushion with 6:52 left in the period. Georgia would continue to fight back, retaking the lead at 47-46 with 54 seconds remaining. They wouldn't remain in front for long, however, as Smith managed to cut through the defense and draw a foul with two seconds left to take a 50-49 lead into the final frame.

Florida couldn't have asked for a better start to the final frame, extending their lead to seven points with 6:55 remaining in the game following a pair of Merritt free throws. Georgia's defense would tighten in the fourth, boosting their offense to a 10-0 run and 63-60 lead with 3:32 remaining. Briggs would hit her biggest shot of the night with 3:19 on the clock to tie the game at 63 once again, but Georgia would have an answer. The Orange & Blue, and more specifically Rickards, would tie the game twice more before a Malury Bates layup gave the Bulldogs a four-point lead with 21 seconds left. Smith managed to cut the lead down to two at 71-69 with 10 seconds remaining, but it wouldn't prove to be enough as Georgia held on for the 73-69 win.

The Gators will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 6 when Ole Miss comes to Exactech Arena for an evening SEC matchup. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.

Postgame Bites- Georgia extended their series winning-streak to nine with the victory.- Jordyn Merritt matched a career-high with 18 points.

Florida shot over 81.8% in the first quarter, marking the second quarter this season they've shot over 80%.- It is the first time they've shot over 80% in multiple quarters in a season since transitioning to quarters in the 2015-16 season.

Smith now owns 1,242 career points, just 15 behind Jennifer George (2009-13) for 19th all-time.- Smith moved into the top-10 in school history with 187 career steals (10th). With five assists, Smith is just three away from 11th in school history with 357.

Briggs now boasts 961 career points, just 39 away from becoming the 27th-member of the 1,000-point club at Florida.