Box score, MVP, and Twitter reactions to Kentucky running out of gas vs. Florida

Kentucky Basketball fought hard, but Florida just had slightly more muscle.

In a game where neither team got into an offensive rhythm, Florida used another 13-0 run in the first half to get far enough ahead to outlast the Cats 71-63 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals.

Advertisement

Florida was relentless on the glass, out-rebounding the Cats 50-29 and 18-8 on the offensive glass.

Despite shooting just 3-20 from three-point range, Florida still found a way to win. Kentucky shot 5-23 from three-point range and 35.6 percent from the floor. The Gators shot just 37.9 percent from the floor.

First Half

Florida got out to an 8-2 lead in the first 3:06, with Alex Condon converting a three-point play and Xaivian Lee nailing a three-pointer. Rueben Chinyelu was living up to his SEC Defensive Player of the Year accolades, collecting three steals.

The Gators kept the pressure on the Wildcats with their efficient shot-making five of six shots on a 6-0 run to take a 16-6 lead. Kentucky, though, made five of seven on an 8-0 run in 44 seconds to cut the deficit to 20-18 with 10:40 remaining. Mouhamed Dioubate— yes, Mouhamed Dioubate— made back-to-back threes to ignite a raucous Big Blue Nation crowd at Bridgestone Arena.

Advertisement

After Kentucky tied the game 20-20, Boogie Fland made back-to-back shots to put the Gators up 24-20. Thomas Haugh followed two free throws to make it 26-20. Kentucky’s offense went cold for the next 2:17, missing five straight shots and six of seven. That drought would reach nearly six minutes before an Aberdeen floater stopped a 13-0 Florida run. 13-0… again. It was 33-22 with 3:21 remaining.

Kentucky battled back, though, and clamped down on both ends of the floor. They got the deficit to 33-26 inside the two-minute mark. Florida answered with a 4-0 run, but the Cats managed to get the deficit to 37-28 at halftime.

It was a struggle offensively for Kentucky in the first half, but they kept the game close. Mouhamed Dioubate had a great first half, leading…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/box-score-mvp-twitter-reactions-201924832.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-03-13 20:19:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.