Gators Hold Off Late Kentucky Rally, Advance in SEC Tournament
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Beating the same team three times in a season is tough, but No. 1 Florida powered past No. 9 Kentucky again Friday even without its best shooting performance.
Florida defeated Kentucky for the third time this season Friday, 71-63, to advance to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena.
The Gators (26-6) led by as many as 17 points in the second half before holding off a late Wildcats push to extend their winning streak to 12 games. Florida will face the winner of Tennessee and Vanderbilt on Saturday at 1 p.m.
“I thought our execution and the way we played physically for the last 13 minutes was not good enough, but something that we can address and work through as we get ready for our opponent tomorrow in the semifinal,” Florida coach Todd Golden said.
Loading ...Forward Alex Condon led the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds, recording his eighth double-double of the season just one day after being named a top-five finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. Condon sparked a 13-0 run early in the second half with back-to-back dunks that helped Florida take control of the game.
“I feel like we were a bit passive in the second half, cruising a little bit out there,” Condon said. “We have to bounce back and play up to the competition because we’ve got some good teams in the SEC and in March, too.”
Thomas Haugh added 13 points, going 9-for-10 from the free-throw line, while Xaivian Lee finished with 11 points and six assists. Lee sealed the win with a step-back 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining after Kentucky cut the deficit to five.
Florida controlled the game on the glass, outrebounding the Wildcats 50-29, including 18 offensive rebounds that led to multiple second-chance opportunities. The Gators also relied on their defense and inside scoring after struggling from beyond the arc, finishing just 3-for-20 from 3-point range.
“I’m not too worried about it,” Golden said. “We’ve been shooting the ball really, really well. We just haven’t played in a week and I think it’ll take us a little bit of time to get back in that rhythm and flow that we had ending the regular season.”
The Gators’ defense also kept Kentucky from finding a rhythm offensively. The Wildcats scored just 63 points, their lowest total since a Dec. 5 loss to Gonzaga, and standout senior Otega Oweh — who averaged 22 points in Kentucky’s first two tournament games — finished with just 10 points on 27.7% shooting from the field. Former Gator Denzel Aberdeen scored 17 points with five rebounds and three assists.
Florida entered the tournament as the top seed and received a bye into the quarterfinals, while Kentucky reached Friday’s matchup after defeating LSU on Tuesday and Missouri on Wednesday. The two programs squared off twice prior to Friday’s matchup, with Florida emerging victorious in each.
The win improved Florida to 7-2 in the SEC Tournament under Golden and evened the program’s all-time record in the event at 53-53.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Men's Basketball
