GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It didn’t matter that the last shot of the game, a buzzer 3-pointer from LSU star goaltender Khayla Pointer, fell through the net and scored.

It didn’t matter that Tigers coach Kim Mulkey, a longtime star of women’s college basketball, entered the court Sunday afternoon at Exactech Arena/O’Connell Center with 635 more career wins than the interim head coach of the Gators. Kelly Rae Finley.

And it doesn’t matter that LSU won 17 of Mulkey’s 19 first season games in Baton Rouge or that the Tigers entered the game 11th overall against a Gators program that hasn’t appeared in national polls since December 2016.

These cold hard facts provided a stark contrast, for sure, as did Mulkey’s black suit and high-heeled pumps as she walked the bench, versus the long-sleeved t-shirt and “We Back” sneakers. Pat” by Finley. But once the teams were notified, it was clear the Gators were in the same league.

“It was a game where they started stronger,” Mulkey said. “We hung on. We fought. They were a lot more physical.”

What about when Florida’s 73-72 victory was final? It was clear that this one meant more to the home team.

Despite Pointer’s game-high 35 points and that buzzer shot, once the horn sounded, the Gators raced to midfield to celebrate their fifth straight Southeastern Conference victory. They deserved it, considering it’s their longest winning streak in 13 years.

“We have a fiercely competitive field,” said Finley, who has improved to 15-5 since being named interim head coach in July. When you operate from that space, everything becomes a little easier.”

The Gators haven’t made it this easy in years.

The team’s turnaround included a win over rival Florida State, a double-overtime win at No. 25 Texas A&M and a 25-point road win over a ranked team from Kentucky. Add Sunday’s win over LSU to the surprising list of accomplishments for a program that entered the season in turmoil after head coach Cam Newbauer left under a cloud of controversy.

Oh, and we didn’t even mention the team’s leading scorer from a season ago, All-SEC selection. Lavender Briggs, recently announced that she would miss the rest of the season due to injury, and second, that she was moving to Maryland. Since Briggs elected to leave the program, Florida is 5-0.

The Gators have endured lean seasons lately — Florida was 46-71 overall, 15-47 in the SEC in four seasons under Newbauer — but found their mojo from the UF athletic director. Scott Stricklin named Finley’s interim coach last summer.

Finley would be the leading candidate to be named Interim Coach of the Year if there was such an award.

A resounding endorsement came from the stands on Sunday as she walked off the pitch with a second-year striker Jordyn Merritt.

“You go, Kelly Rae Finley.”

Stricklin was there too, offering a congratulatory hug to the 36-year-old Minnesota native who delivered results and turned the page on an exciting new chapter.

Finley chose not to dribble on an open lane during her postgame press conference when asked what a win over LSU and three-time national champion coach Mulkey meant to her personally.

“I’m just proud of our staff and our team,” she said. “I’m proud of them every day, whether we won or not. Coach of coach games. Our job is to help them. Players make plays. Our players make big plays in big moments. “

They did it on Sunday, starting with guard Kiara Smith, who played all 40 minutes. Smith scored a team-high 23 points, eight assists and grabbed seven rebounds. With the game on the line, Smith received wide support, including a steal and a layup by Nina Rickard which put the Gators up for good, 68-67, with 2:05 to go. Zippy Broughton, who finished with 14 points, hit a jumper and a pair of free throws in the final 54 seconds to help hold off the Tigers.

Meanwhile, Merritt put in one of the best performances of his career, blocking a late Pointer shot and filling the box score. Merritt finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, four steals, two blocks and led both teams with a plus-13 on the plus-minus board.

“Literally everything that we’ve shown you guys starts in practice,” Merritt said. “We believe in each other. We keep fighting until the end.”

With the win, the Gators look set to land in the national standings this week for the first time since former coach Amanda Butler’s final season. They have a week off to prepare for their next home game next Sunday against No. 1-ranked South Carolina.

Despite their recent string of success, few will give them a chance. Again, this is a team that has proven to be good at overcoming obstacles.

They did it again against LSU.

“We stuck to the game plan,” Finley said. “Everything wasn’t perfect, but we don’t expect it to be perfect. I think we get pretty damn good at fighting adversity.”

As she tells the players, enough is enough. Enough to win if they show up, play hard and let their talent take over.

If they continue, they will be enough to make the NCAA Tournament. That would be quite a story.

One worth seeing.

“I hope everyone who was able to attend enjoyed it and can feel and see why I think our team is so inspiring,” Finley said. “We’re encouraged by the people who were able to get to the games. We’re hoping more people will come. I think we’re playing a fun style of basketball.”

They certainly did that late January afternoon.