The Florida vs Kentucky basketball game gives Wildcats 6th straight SEC win.
The Wildcats clawed their way to a victory against the Gators Saturday night, defending Rupp Arena and avenging last weekend’s loss in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The first of two rivalry matchups between SEC East opponents saw Kentucky come out on top with an impressive 72-67 win after they had just triumphed over Ole Miss days prior. The Florida vs Kentucky basketball game gives the Wildcats their 6th straight SEC win of the season.
On a day to honor Mike Pratt, Big Blue Nation showed up in full force as the Wildcats gained some breathing room from Florida and claimed another important and consecutive win. The home crowd of 20,315 fans was enough support to put Kentucky ahead of the Gators – an edge that could be important come conference tournament time when top four teams receive double-byes. UK honored former Hall of Famer Kevin Pratt by retiring his jersey alongside Pat Riley’s and Dan Issel’s at halftime.
After the dramatic downing of Tennessee’s No. 2 ranking earlier in the week, it was a disappointment for Florida when their shot at tournament glory went up in smoke with Saturday’s loss against Lexington—dropping them to 6-4 conference play and out of Joe Lunardi’s First Four Out list.
SEE ALSO: Kentucky Basketball Schedule
Game Final Score
At halftime, Kentucky had an eleven point lead in the game at 22-33. While both teams would have better offensive performances in the second half, Florida outscored the Cats to a tune of 45 to 39. The game’s final score would end at 67 to 72, with the Wildcats on top.
SEE ALSO: Best Kentucky Gifts, Souvenirs, Apparel, Gear
Recap
Kentucky was ready to make a statement from the get-go, seizing their first lead and keeping it alive. With an Oscar Tshiebwe dunk kickstarting them off strong and extending the advantage up to 13 points in the opening half Kentucky seemed well on their way – that is until Florida launched a stirring 6-0 run late into period one making things interesting again! Undeterred however, Kentucky used some last minute magic for a 7-0 stretch of brilliance sending them sailing with an 11 point margin heading into intermission: 33-22.
Kentucky’s offense may have stumbled out of the halftime break, but Cason Wallace, CJ Fredrick and Jacob Toppin helped ensure they didn’t take a fall. Despite Tshiebwe fouling out late in the game causing some forced action around him – including missing two early second-half shots and three turnovers before timeout – it wasn’t enough to derail Kentucky as their lead remained secure. Florida certainly gave them a fright right down to wire; surging within 3 with under one minute left AND getting possession when UK missed on a free throw… until Gators botched that chance for an equalizer ending any hope of victory!
The Wildcats shot 28-of-62 from the floor, and 5-of-11 from behind the arch. That equals 45.2% from the field shooting, and45.5% from behind the three point line. While the Cats didn’t get to the free throw line much, they shot an exceptional percentage from the charity stripe, going 11-13 at 84.6%.
SEE ALSO: Shop Local Kentucky Gifts This Holiday Season
Kentucky moves to 16-7 on the season, and 7-3 in the Southeastern Conference standings, while Florida is 13-10 and also 6-4 in the South Eastern Conference.
Box Score
SEE ALSO: Kentucky Shirts, Hats, Apparel, and Gear
Highlights Video:
Full Game Replay
Be sure to follow our Instagram and ‘Like’ our Facebook page to get all of the latest Kentucky Shirt releases, new gear and other fun stuff.
