Gators snap Cats' win streak
Kentucky's season now hinges on doing something the Wildcats haven't done all year.
A four-game win streak.
John Calipari's steadily improving squad was holding out hope that running the table might put them in a position to land an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament, but Florida put an end to the ultimate optimists' plans with a 71-67 win over the Cats on Saturday at Rupp Arena.
Kentucky (8-14, 7-8 SEC) now knows it must reel off four straight at the SEC Tournament in Nashville if it wants to punch a ticket to the big dance. The Cats have won three in a row twice this season but have never gotten over the hump for the elusive fourth.
"We're definitely desperate now," UK sophomore forward Jacob Toppin said. "... We have our backs against the wall."
Added senior center Olivier Sarr: "We've got to take it one game at a time and make sure that we're not looking two or three steps ahead."
Kentucky looked like it was on track to notch that fourth straight win in the first half. The Cats built a 26-16 lead, but Florida coach Mike White countered with a 3-2 zone press that threw UK out of its early rhythm and ground the game's pace to one that favored the Gators.
After hitting seven of its first 11 shots from the field, UK shot only 32% the rest of the way.
The lead changed hands 11 times in the second half. Kentucky took a 63-62 lead on Toppin's rebound dunk with 3:53 remaining, but the Cats were outscored 9-4 the rest of the way.
Florida guards Tre Mann and Tyree Appleby accounted for each of the Gators' final nine points. They finished with 21 and 11 points, respectively. Colin Castleton added 14 points and Anthony Duruji chipped in with 10 for the winners.
The Gators shot 52% (25 of 48) from the field to overcome a 16-turnover game.
Florida (13-6, 9-5 SEC) avenged a 76-58 loss to UK on Jan. 9 in Gainesville and stayed in the hunt for a double-bye at the SEC Tournament.
Senior guard Davion Mintz led Kentucky with 21 points. BJ Boston followed with 13, while Isaiah Jackson and Toppin each added 11.
The Cats, however, got only 11 points combined from Keion Brooks Jr., Devin Askew, and Sarr. That trio also accounted for eight of UK's 15 turnovers.
"We had some bad play, individual bad play today, and that happens," UK coach John Calipari said. "They are not machines. They are not robots. We had a couple guys play one of their worst games, no energy."
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RAPID RECAP:
This was yet another game that boiled down to the final four minutes. The Cats had been showing much better execution in this situation in recent games but not today. Holding a one-point lead at the under-4 timeout, UK allowed Florida's best shooter, Tyree Appleby, to take a wide-open 3-point shot from the right wing. It was nothing but net, and the Gators took the lead for good. The Cats lost one of their crucial final possessions when BJ Boston had a rebound wrestled away from him. They had another possession end with a forced jumper by Olivier Sarr as the shot clock expired. Kentucky was outscored 9-4 over the final 3:53 of play.
GAME BALL:
Tre Mann, Florida -- The Gators' sophomore wing fell just three points shy of his career-high, topping the 20-point mark for only the second time. He was 7-of-11 from the field, hit both of his 3-point attempts, went 5-of-6 at the free-throw line, and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
KEY STAT:
Kentucky shot 33% (9 of 27) in the second half, including a 1-for-11 effort from the 3-point arc. The Cats finished the day 4-of-20 from long range after shooting 41% (26 of 64) during their three-game win streak.
QUOTABLE:
"Really surprising. I have no idea. I mean, he lost one ball and then did not sprint back and let them dunk a ball, when the guy was three steps behind him when they both took off. But I'm going to say this: I love him. He's played great for us. They are not machines and they are not robots. He wasn't very good today. But let's see if the next game he comes back and he's better next game." -- UK coach John Calipari on Keion Brooks Jr.'s uncharacteristic performance.
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday at Ole Miss. The Rebels (13-10, 8-8 SEC) lost 75-70 on Saturday at Vanderbilt. UK and Ole Miss tip off at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.