Andrew Harrison – photo by Bo Morris | Kentucky Sports Review
Scottie Wilbekin scored 23 points including five critical free throws down the stretch as No. 3 Florida rallied for a tense 69-59 victory over No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night in a marquee showdown of the Southeastern Conference’s top two teams.
The Gators tied a school record with their 17th straight win, and their first at Rupp Arena since 2007.
Trailing 45-38 with 11:12 remaining, the veteran Gators (23-2, 2-0) didn’t flinch and outscored the young Wildcats (19-6, 9-3) 31-14 after that by putting the ball in the hands of their best players such as Wilbekin, who got to the line and finished 11 of 12 including two technical free throws with 8:14 left.
Casey Prather scored 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting, while Patric Young added 10 with the help of two 3-point plays during a 13-3 spurt that put Florida ahead for good.
Andrew Harrison scored 20 points for Kentucky.
