Kentucky comes up short against Florida in another test of perseverance
One of the honorees at Kentucky’s Senior Day spoke Friday about the perseverance his team had demonstrated this season.
“That wasn’t an option,” Riley Welch said. “Win or lose, we’re going to work. … Each guy had a belief in themselves and in their teammates. That was we’re better than we were putting out there.”
In more ways than one, stick-to-itiveness was on display as Kentucky lost 71-67 on Saturday night. Neither team could separate itself.
Kentucky led by 10 for under two minutes midway through the first half. That was the only double-digit cushion for either team. For all but 33 seconds, it was a single-possession difference in the final eight-plus minutes.
Florida won it by making four of four free throws inside the final 24 seconds.
The loss was costly for Kentucky, which fell to 8-14 overall and 7-8 in the Southeastern Conference. With winning the upcoming SEC Tournament perceived as the only chance to play in the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky lost on a day when three teams ahead in the chance for a double-bye lost: LSU, Tennessee and Ole Miss.
Davion Mintz missed two potential “dagger” three-point shots down the stretch. He led UK with 21 points.
Florida, one of those contenders for a double-bye, improved to 13-6 overall and 9-5 in the SEC.
Florida came to Lexington in the midst of a topsy-turvy season of rallies and collapses, sometimes in the same game.
When asked Friday about the inconsistency, Florida Coach Mike White answered with a question. “Who’s not inconsistent?” he asked. “There’s probably five teams in the country that don’t have some inconsistencies. We certainly have ours. There’s all kinds of factors. Winning and losing and injuries and pauses and the trauma that these guys have experienced, the youth that we have, there are a few teams, and Kentucky certainly is one, but we’re young as well. We’re without a senior.”
Kentucky saw to it that Florida’s seesaw season continued in the first half.
UK made its first four shots and seven of the first 10. That enabled the Cats to claim a 26-16 lead with 10:52 left.
But the good times did not last. From the 13:58 mark to 50 seconds remaining in the first half Kentucky had only one basket. From 7:31 to the 50-second mark UK did not have a basket.
In one stretch, Kentucky committed turnovers on five straight trips downcourt, and six in a four-minute span.
That helped Florida rally. The Gators took a 36-35 lead with 1:42 left on two free throws by Colin Castleton.
With UK trailing 38-35, Keion Brooks broke the spell with a foul line jumper. That came with 50 seconds left. And after a Florida miss, Mintz dribbled until he made a short floater in the lane with 16.6 seconds left to give Kentucky a 39-38 halftime lead.
Florida had five more baskets and one more three-point basket in the first half. But a free-throw disparity worked to UK’s favor. The Cats made 16 of 17 free throws, while Florida made the four it got.
The disparity became obvious with 10:52 left. That’s when the referees hit Florida Coach Mike White with a technical foul. He apparently complained about a sequence in which there was a non-call when his player, Tre Mann, missed contested fast-break layup. Then a foul was called at the other end when Florida contested Jacob Toppin’s fast-break layup.
Devin Askew made one of two technical free throws (UK’s only miss from the line) and Toppin made two to give UK its 26-16 lead.
A three-pointer by Mann put Kentucky behind 44-43 early in the second half.
Defense and — what else this game? — free throws steadied the UK ship. Free throws by Isaiah Jackson (three of four) gave UK a 46-44 lead at the first television timeout.
At that point, UK had made 19 of 21 free throws, while Florida was four of four from the line.
Toppin’s fourth three-pointer of the season gave Kentucky a 49-47 lead with 13:09 left. At that point, another possession-by-possession test in the final minutes seemed inevitable.
Foul trouble hindered any chance Kentucky had to break away. Askew picked up his third foul with 15:37 left. He sat out only two minutes during which UK went scoreless before returning to the action.
Jackson picked up his third foul at the 15:47 mark, then got hit with his fourth with 10:25 left.
Next game
Kentucky at Mississippi
When: 9 p.m. Tuesday
TV: ESPN
This story was originally published February 27, 2021 at 6:37 PM.
