Final Score: No. 10 Kentucky 65, Florida 59
Team Records and Series Notes • Kentucky has won six in a row and is 22-5 overall. o UK remains in first place in the Southeastern Conference with a 12-2 league record and a two-game lead over Auburn and LSU. • Florida is 17-10 overall, 9-5 in league play, ending the Gators’ three-game winning streak.• UK leads the series 103-40 and has won three in a row.o UK leads 53-10 in games played in Lexington.o The teams will play again two weeks from tonight, March 7 in Gainesville, to conclude the regular season.• Next up: on Tuesday, Kentucky takes on Texas A&M at 7 p.m. EST (6 p.m. CST in College Station). The television assignment is ESPN.
Player Notes • Immanuel Quickley had a career-high 26 points, 22 of which came in the second half.o He has been torrid in the second half in UK’s current six-game win streak, averaging 15.5 points in the second half alone during this six-game stretch. o It is his seventh 20-point game of the season, all coming in the last 15 games. It’s his fifth 20-point scoring game in the last nine games.o It is his 16th consecutive game in double figures, most since Malik Monk had a 30-game streak during the 2016-17 season. o He made 4 of 6 on 3-point shots tonight. UK is 9-0 in Quickley’s career when he makes at least three long balls. o Entering the game as the leading free-throw shooter in the SEC at 91.2%, he made 6 of 6 at the charity stripe, including two in the closing seconds to ice the game. o He also tied his career high for steals with three thefts. • Tyrese Maxey had 13 points, a team-high seven rebounds and seven assists. o UK is 4-0 this season when he has seven or more rebounds. o It is his 19th game this season in double figures. • Ashton Hagans came off the bench and had seven points, four assists and three steals. o He did not start for first time since Dec. 1, 2018 vs. UNC Greensboro.
Coach John Calipari • Calipari is now 327-76 at UK.• He has a 772-216 all-time on-court record. • UK is 265-43 against unranked foes under Calipari.• Kentucky is 148-40 under Calipari in SEC regular-season games.• He is 18-8 all-time vs. Florida.
Team Notes • Kentucky held Florida to 59 points. UK is 184-7 (96.3%) in the Calipari era when keeping the opponent to 63 points or fewer.• UK won the game despite losing the rebounding, 30-27. UK is 3-4 this season when being outrebounded.• Kentucky made 10 of 10 free throws, including all four in the final 12 seconds with the game on the line.o It is the 11th time in school history that UK has made every free throw in a game (min. 10 attempts). Ironically the last time it happened was against Florida, when the Cats made all 11 on Feb. 7, 2012. o UK has made at least 75% at the line in 10 straight games.• Kentucky has won 14 in a row at home.• With Quickley scoring 26, UK has had five players score at least 25 points in a game this season – Quickley, Nick Richards, Tyrese Maxey, Ashton Hagans and EJ Montgomery.
In the First Half • The starting lineup consisted of Johnny Juzang, Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley, EJ Montgomery and Nick Richards for the second time this season. UK is 2-0 with the lineup. • Ashton Hagans was UK’s first substitute at the 15:59 mark. • After UF scored on its first possession, UK scored on its next four possessions for an 8-2 lead.• The teams battled evenly the rest of the first half; fittingly, Florida’s Ques Glover hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the teams to intermission tied at 31.o It is the first time this season UK was tied at intermission.
In the Second Half • Kentucky began the second half with the opening lineup.• The teams were tied at 33 when Florida grabbed the lead with a 7-0 run. • Kentucky roared back with an 8-0 spurt to reclaim the lead at 41-40. • Trailing 44-41, three straight 3-pointers by Quickley gave UK a 50-44 lead and the Wildcats never trailed again.o He scored 15 of UK’s first 19 points of the second half. o Richards capped the 11-0 run with a follow dunk to make it 52-44 with 9:36 left. • At the end of the shot clock with 1:34 remaining, Quickley’sdesperation 3-pointer rattled the rim, then nestled the netting to make it 61-53. • Florida came back with three straight baskets to pull within 61-59 with 17 seconds left. • Kentucky survived as Maxey hit two foul shots with 12 seconds left and Quickley added two more with two seconds left for the final tally of 65-59.