LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Suddenly, Immanuel Quickley has emerged as a darkhorse candidate for SEC Player of the Year.
Kentucky's sophomore guard added another bullet point to his impressive resume on Saturday, scoring a career-high 26 points to lead the No. 10 Wildcats to a 65-59 win over Florida at Rupp Arena.
"I'm with IQ," Kentucky coach John Calipari said of his potential campaign slogan. "I mean, he's playing."
Quickley scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half when Kentucky (22-5, 12-2 SEC) needed them most. With the Cats trailing 44-41, he hit three consecutive 3-pointers to give his team a 50-44 advantage it would never relinquish.
“He played amazing tonight," UK junior center Nick Richards said. "He made every shot, and if you needed a basket you just ran to him. He made really tough 3s. He just overall played amazing.”
"He was fantastic. He was the best player on the floor," Florida coach Mike White said. "I thought he did a great job of finding space, searching. They did a good job of finding him. Hit some huge shots and complimented that with terrific defense on the perimeter."
Quickley was the primary defender on Florida sharpshooter Noah Locke, who entered the game averaging 10.8 points per game and riding a streak of 24 straight games with a made 3-pointer, including a school-record 15 games during that stretch with multiple treys.
Locke finished the game scoreless, going 0-for-5 from the field.
Said UK freshman guard Tyrese Maxey: “Immanuel is just a different breed."
Kentucky also got a big performance from Maxey, who delivered 13 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Richards chipped in with nine points and six rebounds for the Cats.
Florida (17-10, 9-5 SEC) was held to 43.1% (22 of 51) from the field. The Gators managed to keep it close by out-rebounding the Cats 30-27 and turning nine offensive rebounds into 12 second-chance points.
The teams will face each other in a rematch on March 7 in the regular-season finale at Gainesville.
*****
In this Cats Illustrated "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory…
THE GOOD:
Immanuel Quickley is flat-out carrying the Wildcats right now. His surge (five 20-point games in the last nine) comes at the perfect time as backcourt mate Ashton Hagans has been slumping.
THE BAD:
For the second straight game, Kentucky struggled royally against the opponent's full-court press, nearly letting a comfortable lead slip away in the final minute of play.
THE UGLY:
Ashton Hagans showed guts in playing with a deep thigh bruise he sustained Tuesday night at LSU, but he continues to struggle on the offensive end of the floor. He has committed five or more turnovers in four of the last eight games, including six on Saturday. UK coach John Calipari offered his first serious critique of his sophomore point guard in the postgame: "C'mon. C'mon. And one at the end where he' is dribbling through three guys... What are you doing?"
GAME BALL:
Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky -- The sophomore guard joined the Cats' "25-Point Club," becoming the fifth player on the roster to score at least that many points in a game this season. All of UK's starters have now accomplished the feat. Quickley is averaging 15.5 points in the second halves of games during the Cats' six-game win streak.
BY THE NUMBERS:
10 - Consecutive games for Kentucky shooting 75% or better from the free-throw line. The Cats were 10-for-10 against the Gators.
16 - Consecutive games in double-figure scoring for UK's Immanuel Quickley.
20 - Points for Kentucky off 16 Florida turnovers.
30-27 - Florida's advantage in the rebound column. It was the second straight game and the fourth time in seven games that UK has lost the rebound battle.
31-31 - Score at halftime.
103-40 - UK's all-time lead in the series with Florida, including a 53-10 mark in Lexington.
184-7 - The Cats' record under John Calipari when holding the opponent to 63 points or less.
20,489 - Season-high attendance at Rupp Arena.
QUOTABLE:
"I've got to come up with something different. If I'm playing us, I'm putting a man on the ball and I'm pressing. So now, let me coach a little bit and figure some stuff out." -- UK coach John Calipari on the Cats' recent struggles in late-game situations against full-court pressure.
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday night at Texas A&M. The Aggies (14-12, 8-6 SEC) defeated Mississippi State 87-75 on Saturday. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
