Livescore
No. 6 Florida and No. 10 Kentucky began SEC play with a banger Saturday as the Wildcats handed the Gators their first loss of the season in a thrilling 106-100 UK victory at Rupp Arena. Koby Brea hit a career-high seven 3-pointers to pace the Wildcats, who overcame an early 11-point deficit to remain unbeaten at home.
The Wildcats (12-2, 1-0 SEC) used runs of 10-0 and 16-0 in the first half to build a 52-42 edge at the break. After yet another 10-0 run in the second half, UK led 80-69. But the hot-shooting Gators (13-1, 0-1) withstood each punch to make the final minutes tense, as Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin combined for 59 points to lead the Gators.
Ultimately, Florida had no answer for Brea, who drilled three 3-pointers in a stretch of under two minutes late in the second half to stymie Florida’s comeback effort. The Dayton transfer finished with a career-high 23 points off the bench and was one of six Kentucky players in double figures.
Among the six was Lamont Butler, who finished with 19 points and a career-high eight assists. His most important dish of the game came at the 1:30 mark, when he hit Andrew Carr for a wide open 3-pointer from the left wing as the shot clock expired. Carr’s make extended Kentucky’s lead to 99-91 and served as a dagger in Florida’s hopes.
Kentucky improved to 3-2 in Quad 1 games and 3-0 vs. top 10 teams while Florida dropped to 1-1 in Quad 1 opportunities. The outcome left No. 1 Tennessee and No. 12 Oklahoma as the only remaining unbeaten teams in Division I men’s college basketball. Both the Volunteers and Sooners face challenging games against ranked SEC foes on Saturday.
Kentucky shows its balance
Kentucky may not have a projected All-American or SEC Player of the Year candidate, but it does have a deep group of veterans with complementary skillsets. The Wildcats are a group whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That was on display against Florida as a different player seemed to step up in each chapter of a game defined by major momentum swings. While Brea’s perimeter marksmanship highlighted the effort, Otega Oweh’s physical drives to the basket, Amari Williams’ interior toughness and Lamont Butler’s moxie as a floor general were also significant factors in UK’s ability to withstand Florida’s offensive barrage.
Offensive explosion
Kentucky entered at No. 3 nationally averaging 89 points per game, while Florida entered at No. 9, averaging 87.4 points per game. Both teams lived up to their offensive reputations and then some during the highest-scoring game in the history of a series that’s been contested 152 times. Clayton tied a career high with 33 points and finished with 23 in the second half alone while scrapping to keep the Gators in the hunt. He and Martin combined for 43 of Florida’s 58 points after the break in a display of what makes Florida’s backcourt one of the nation’s best. But Kentucky’s 14 made 3-pointers were the most surrendered by Florida in a game this season and rendered the Gators unable to tie the game or take the lead at any point in the second half.
Uptick in competition
Florida’s 13-0 start included 12 double-digit victories as the Gators tore through November and December with reckless abandon. However, the Gators had played just one true road game entering Saturday, and none of the Gators’ first 13 opponents were ranked in the AP Top 25 poll this week. Thus, going on the road against a top-10 Kentucky team marked a notable uptick in difficulty. Though Florida lost, its performance suggested that it will be a threat to contend for the SEC. But life will get no easier for the Gators, who host top-ranked Tennessee on Tuesday.
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