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Kentucky beats Florida in Rupp Arena shootout, handing Gators first loss of season
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Kentucky and Florida lived up to the hype. The No. 10 Wildcats and No. 6 Gators tangled in Lexington to tip off the SEC basketball season, and fans were treated to a high-scoring thriller, as UK won Mark Pope’s SEC debut 106-100 in Rupp Arena.
The Cats and Gators entered as two of the NCAA’s top offenses, and they scored early and often. UF had an early lead of 26-15, but it did not last. Florida’s last lead was 26-23 at the 8:47 mark of the 1st half, as Kentucky erased the double-digit deficit with a 16-0 run.
Once in front, the Wildcats never trailed again. Todd Golden’s Gators, though, fought to the finish. It was a 52-42 game at the half in UK’s favor. UF frequently cut into the deficit, but UK never ceded the lead and answered with scoring runs to build a cushion.
Kentucky shot 58% from the field, besting Florida’s 55% shooting. The Cats were led by Koby Brea’s 23 points, who drained a team-high 7 3-pointers.
While Brea led the way, he was 1 of 6 Cats to finish in double figures. Brea was joined by Otega Oweh (16 points), Lamont Butler (19), Jaxson Robinson (14), Andrew Carr (14) and Amari Williams (15).
Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. was the game’s high-scorer with 33 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and 9-of-13 at the free-throw line. Clayton made 6-of-12 3-point attempts. Alijah Martin added 26 points, including 5 3-pointers, for Florida.
In box score battles, Kentucky was more productive shooting from 3-point range and at the foul line. The Wildcats dominated bench scoring (28-13) and scored more points in the paint (44-38). UK won points off turnovers 20-4, including 15-0 in the 1st half. UF scored more second-chance points 31-12.
While the lower-ranked team won, Kentucky was the favorite playing in front of Big Blue Nation at Rupp Arena. UK closed as a 3.5-point favorite, according to ESPN Bet.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
