The SEC schedule has been a tough nut for the Florida Gators lately. But with pops in the audience, Me’arah O’Neal put up a standout play tonight.

On January 29, 2026, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal sat in the stands while his daughter played against the Texas Longhorns. Although the Gators lost their 10th game of the season, Me’arah’s game stole the spotlight.

The Gator No. 8 scored 17 points and 3 rebounds against the Longhorns. She also made 2 assists and blocked the Longhorns three times.

The Gator dominated the first quarter as Me’arah scored 11 points and hit a buzzer-beater from the 3-point arc. That gave the Gators a 19-16 lead over the Longhorns. The Gator Guard’s performance got praise from Coach Kelly Rae Finely. “Me’arah is skilled. She’s very versatile”, she said.

And that is not the first time Finely has parised Me’arah O'Neal. “On the court, she is a dynamic player who brings a unique skill set along with versatility to the floor. Her humble nature and team-first mentality make her the total package”, Finely said back in 2023. So far this season, the 6’4 Guard is averaging 13.7 points and 6.7 rebounds. However, the Gators have fumbled as a team multiple times this season.

Things Went Downhill for the Gators After the First Quarter

The Longhorns soon regained their momentum and outscored the Gators by 26-12 in the second quarter. Texas has not played for 11 days due to the winter storm, so they werewell rested. The gap grew as they left the Gators behind by a 60-30 margin.

Gator Guard Liv McGill tried to make a comeback in the third quarter. However, that attempt was crushed by the Longhorn Guard Rori Harmon. Harmon, who has been averaging 9.0 points and 6.9 assists this season, was assigned by coach Vic Schaefer specifically for this.

“She’s (McGill) really hard to deal with, and that’s why when you got someone like Rori Harmon that can go toe-to-toe with her, that really helps,” Schaefer said afterwards. Harmon scored 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Longhorns sent the Gators home with an 88-68 massive loss.

Other than Me’arah O'Neal, McGill scored 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. However, she also had 9 turnovers.

The Gators are now on a 1-7 stretch after this loss. They have also faced 3 top six teams in just the span of seven days. Before Texas, they played the LSU Tigers on January 27 and lost by 89-60.

And the schedule is only going to get tougher as they’ll face the sixth-seed Vanderbilt on February 2, 2026. Will Me’arah O'Neal manage to lead her team to victory this time? Tell us what you think.

Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi