RUPP ARENA at CENTRAL BANK CENTER
FEB. 27, 2021
ATTENDANCE: 3,075
Final Score: Florida 71, Kentucky 67
Final Score: Florida 71, Kentucky 67
Team Records and Series Notes • Kentucky fall to 8-14 overall, 7-8 in the Southeastern Conference.o The loss snaps UK’s three-game winning streak, which was tied for its longest of the season. • Florida improves to 13-6 overall, 8-6 in league play.• Kentucky still leads the overall series 105-41, including 53-11 in games played in Lexington, but today ended a five-game winning streak vs. Florida.o It marks just the fifth time in the series history the two schools have split the regular-season series with wins on the road. • Next: Kentucky has its last regular-season away game Tuesday at Ole Miss. The game begins at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT in Oxford, Mississippi) and will be televised on ESPN.
Player Notes • Graduate student Davion Mintz and seniors Olivier Sarrand Riley Welch were honored before the game on Senior Day. A decision has not been made yet as to whether they will use their COVID-19 extra season of eligibility.• Davion Mintz posted a season-high and career-high-tying 21 points. His previous 21-point effort came on Jan. 9, 2019, vs. Marquette.o He made two 3-pointers his fifth consecutive game with multiple long balls and the eighth time in the last nine games.o He made all five of his foul shots, adding three rebounds and a season-high three steals. o Mintz has scored in double figures in three straight games and is averaging 18.0 points on 45.9% shooting with 11 combined 3-pointers.o He has led UK in scoring a team-high nine times this season.• Brandon Boston Jr. contributed 13 points – 11 in the first half — including 6 of 6 at the foul line.o Six free throws matched his season high, also occurring vs. Florida. o It is his team-leading 16th game in double figures this season.• Isaiah Jackson played an efficient offensive game, making all four field goal attempts and 3 of 4 free throws for 11 points, but was limited to 16 foul-plagued minutes. o It is his fourth game in a row to score in double figures and he is averaging 15 points per game during that span. o Led the Wildcats in rebounding with five and blocked shots with three. • Jacob Toppin continued his recent strong play off the bench with 11 points and three rebounds.o He is averaging 11 points per game over the last three contests.
Coach John Calipari • Calipari is now 338-91 at UK.• Calipari has a 783-231 all-time on-court record. • UK is 274-53 under Calipari against teams unranked in The Associated Press Top 25.• Calipari is 20-9 in his career against Florida.
Team Notes • Kentucky is now 95-21 all-time on Senior Day and 9-2 under Calipari. UK did not have a senior on its roster for the 2017-18 season. • The closely contested game featured nine ties and 14 lead changes, with the teams separated by no more than four points the entire second half. • UK made 25 of 29 free throws today, 86.2%. o During the last three games, the Wildcats have hit 66 of 74, 89.2%.• With seven assists and 15 turnovers, UK is now 0-12 this season when having a negative assist/TO margin.o It snapped a season-long four-game streak with more assists than turnovers.• UK led by as many as 10 points. UK is 287-12 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points during the gamebut fell to 6-4 this season.
In the First Half • Kentucky started Riley Welch, Davion Mintz, Brandon Boston Jr., Isaiah Jackson and Olivier Sarr for the first time as Welch made his first start at Kentucky and first of his career.o It’s the eighth different starting lineup for UK this season in 22 games.o Devin Askew was the first substitute at the 17:12mark. • Trailing 5-2, an 11-0 UK run gave the Wildcats a 13-5 advantage with two traditional and one plays during the stretch.• UK stretched the lead to 10 at 26-16, but the Gators countered with a pair of 8-0 runs to go ahead 38-35. o The first 8-0 run featured three UK turnovers and no field-goal attempts. • After a Mintz 3-pointer at the 13:59 mark, Kentucky made just one field goal until the 50-second mark but stayed in the game thanks to 14 free throws during the stretch.o The lone field goal was a Mintz 3-pointer with 7:31 to play. UK went more than five and a half minutes prior to that 3 without a field-goal attempt because of turnovers and free throws. • Kentucky got the last four points of the half and went to intermission with a 39-38 edge. • Mintz led the Wildcats with 13 points and Boston had 11. o Mintz has scored double figures in the first half for three straight games, averaging 12.7 points during those three games.• UK offset nine first-half turnovers and just 21 field-goal attempts by making 10 of them and going 16 of 17 from the free-throw line.o Kentucky is now 5-6 this season when leading at halftime.
In the Second Half • Kentucky opened the second half with its traditional lineup of the last few weeks with Devin Askew at point guard alongside Mintz, Boston Jr., Jackson and Sarr. • The game went back and forth the entire second half, with neither team leading by more than four points at any time.• Trailing 63-62 with 3:46 remaining, Florida put together afive-point spurt to go ahead 67-63. • The Gators made four foul shots in the final 23 seconds to hold on for the win. • The Wildcats only made 9 of 27 shots in the second half and were 1 of 11 from 3.
