Aaron Harrison – photo by Walter Cornett
Aaron Harrison and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 13 points and No. 1 Kentucky shut down Florida in the second half to pull away for a 64-49 victory in Friday’s Southeastern Conference tournament quarterfinal.
The meeting between the schools followed the same hard-fought pattern as the two previous matchups this season, with the Gators initially taking charge before Kentucky seized control in the second half with its size and depth.
The height advantage helped Kentucky (32-0) outrebound Florida 39-33, including a 16-11 edge offensively that created extra chances and earned frequent trips to the free-throw line. Towns also had 12 boards.
Kentucky hit 19 of 23 from the line, while Florida (16-17) was 3 of 5.
Willie Cauley-Stein added nine points for the Wildcats, who advance to Saturday’s semifinal.
Jon Horford scored 15 points and Eli Carter 11 for the Gators, who made just two of their final 12 shots.
