Kentucky puts slow start to season behind it with rout of Florida
Undefeated (in January) Kentucky looked capable of undefeated (for the season) Kentucky on Saturday night at Florida.
The Cats shot well, shared the ball, limited turnovers and — to inspire dreams of continuing dominance — enjoyed a productive performance by Keion Brooks in his belated season debut.
Kentucky defeated Florida 76-58. It was UK’s largest margin of victory at Florida since the 1997-98 season (79-54).
UK, which improved to 4-6 overall and 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference, took the lead for good with 9:18 left in the first half. Its edge grew to as much as 25 points with eight minutes left.
Florida, 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the SEC, came into the game amid a continuing effort to regroup after star forward Keyontae Johnson collapsed on the court on Dec. 12.
“It’s really just been like survival mode right now,” Coach Mike White said Friday of the process to gain a new team identity.
White saw Kentucky, which lost six of its first seven games, in a similar situation.
“It’s not a typical midseason SEC game, obviously, with all the context,” White said. “We’re still a ways away from where we could be in time. And they’re in the same situation.”
Kentucky looked in a groove.
Brooks, who had been sidelined by a calf injury, scored 12 points (two more than in his star turn at Florida last season). He also had six rebounds and four assists.
Brandon Boston and Davion Mintz led a balanced attack with 13 points each. Olivier Sarr added 10.
A boffo first half for Kentucky saw more than half its three-point shots go in. The assist-to-turnover ratio was two-to-one to the good.
UK led by as many as eight and led 35-29 at halftime.
The first half did not begin on an encouraging note. The Cats matched the two turnovers they had in the victory over Vanderbilt earlier in the week in the game’s first five possessions.
Home-state hero Dontaie Allen again sparked Kentucky. He hit back-to-back threes to help erase an early five-point deficit and propel UK to 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc before the break.
Allen’s second three-pointer gave Kentucky its first lead at 13-10. It also prompted a Florida timeout with 14:19 left.
That’s when Brooks entered the game.
He scored barely 30 seconds after entering the game. He took a fast-break lob and dunked. The play was part of a half that saw Kentucky get credit for 10 assists. The last of those came before the final television timeout.
UK had fewer than 10 assists in five of its nine previous games and came to Florida averaging 11.2 assists.
By committing only five turnovers, Kentucky seemed on its way to its fourth positive assist-to-turnover ratio of the season.
Kentucky was sharp on the defensive end, too. Florida came into the game ranked 38th in Division I in scoring with an average of 81.8 points. The Gators made only 11 of 28 shots.
Guards Noah Locke and Scottie Lewis came into the game with a combined average of 22.2 points. Neither scored, combining to miss four shots.
A pattern continued as the second half began. Kentucky went to Sarr in the low post. He scored twice against Florida “big” Colin Castleton. Each gave UK an eight-point lead, the second prompting a Florida timeout with 18:44 left.
The timeout had little impact.
Kentucky scored on its next trip down court when Brandon Boston drove and then pass to Brooks for a dunk.
A minute or so later, another pass netted a layup. That meant there were 14 assists in Kentucky’s first 20 baskets.
Kentucky’s lead reached its zenith at 51-33 on a Devin Askew three-pointer with 14:47 left.
This evoked memories of the last Kentucky-Florida game in Gainesville. In that regular-season finale last March, UK rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit.
Florida turned up the defensive heat, which resulted in three turnovers in UK’s next four possessions.
Florida closed within 53-41. Then Brooks and Boston combined for eight points in a 13-0 Kentucky run that removed any lingering doubt.
Next game
Alabama at Kentucky
9 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN)
This story was originally published January 9, 2021 at 7:43 PM.
