Kentucky vs Florida

Recap

Kentucky Men’s Basketball Postgame Notes

Rupp Arena At Central Bank Center | Lexington, Ky

Jan. 4, 2025
Attendance: 21,093 (Tied Season High)

Final Score: No. 10/11 Kentucky 106, No. 6/5 Florida 100

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is now 12-2 and Florida is 13-1. This was the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
  • Today’s game marked the first time in the history of The Associated Press poll that UK began SEC play with a top-10 matchup and just the fourth time starting league action with a game in which both teams are ranked in the AP top 25.
  • UK is 3-0 vs. top-10 opponents this season, also vs. Duke and Gonzaga. The three wins against top 10 opponents are the most in college basketball this season
• Kentucky leads the series 111-42, including 56-12 in Lexington.
  • UK is now 16-7 vs. Florida when both teams were ranked in the AP top 25 and 5-0 vs. the Gators when both were rated in the top 10.
  • This was the second-most points UK has scored vs. Florida (110 in 1970)
  • This is the first time since 1963-64 that the teams will meet only once during the regular season.
• Mark Pope is 199-110 as head coach, including 12-2 at Kentucky.
  • UK coaches (also Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Pitino, Smith, Gillispie, Calipari) are now 8-0 in their SEC debuts (six home, two away) and 8-0 in their SEC home lidlifters.
• Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats have their first SEC road game Tuesday at Georgia. Game time is 7 p.m. ET and it will be televised on the SEC Network.

Team Notes

• Florida’s 13-0 record was the third-best record for a team entering Rupp Arena in the venue’s history. Only the 1998-99 Auburn Tigers (17-0) and the 2007-08 Vanderbilt Commodores (16-0) had better records, and UK won both of those games as well.
• This was the fifth time this season Kentucky scored at least 100 points.
  • UK entered the game third in the nation in scoring at 89 points per game.
  • First time scoring at least 100 points vs. Florida since a 100-76 win in the 1996 SEC Tournament.
  • Second-most points ever vs. Florida, 110 against the Gators in 1970.
• Kentucky had six players score in double figures, the third time this season at least six Wildcats have done so.
  • Four Cats scored at least 15, first time this season to do that.
• Kentucky shot 57.8 percent from the field and the Wildcats are 7-0 this season when making at least half their shots.
• Kentucky made 14 3-point shots, second most this season and the ninth game this season the Wildcats have made double-digit threes. UK is 9-0 in those games.
• Kentucky made 18 of 24 free throws (75 percent), the third straight game the Wildcats have made at least 75 percent at the foul line.
• Kentucky had 25 assists and only six turnovers, a 4.17 assist/TO ratio. UK entered the game third in the nation in that category with a ratio of 1.99.
  • UK had 25 assists on 37 made baskets, notching an assist on 67.6 percent of its baskets.
• Kentucky had three runs of at least 10 points – 16-0 and 10-0 in the first half and 10-0 in the second half.

Player Notes  

• Koby Brea had a career-high 23 points, featuring a career-best seven 3-pointers.
  • He has made at least one 3-pointer in every game this season and this was his 12^th game with multiples threes.
  • He becomes the third Wildcat with at least seven 3s against a top 25 opponent dating back to 1996-97
• Lamont Butler had 19 points and a career-high eight assists. He has at least five assists in five of the last six games.
• Otega Oweh had 16 points and has scored in double figures in every game this season.
  • He played a key role at two crucial junctures in the game.
  • With Florida having its largest lead at 26-15, he scored 10 points in UK’s 16-0 run and the Wildcats never trailed again.
  • When Florida pulled within 70-69, he scored six straight points.
• Amari Williams had 15 points, tying his season high, with an efficient 6 of 7 shooting.
  • He led UK with eight rebounds and had a season-best five assists.
• Jaxson Robinson tallied 14 points, giving him 1,004 points in his collegiate career.
  • He is the seventh Wildcat on the current roster with 1,000 points in his career and the third to reach the millennium mark this season (also Koby Brea and Kerr Kriisa).
• Andrew Carr had 14 points, his sixth straight double-figure game and 11^th of the season. He also had five assists with no turnovers.
• Despite not scoring, Ansley Almonor had a game-best +20 in the plus/minus statistic. He had three rebounds, one assist and one steal.

In the First Half

• Kentucky’s starters were Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, Otega Oweh, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams. UK has a 10-2 record with this lineup.
• Brandon Garrison was the first substitution at 16:58.
• Florida scored on its first two possessions for a 5-0 lead.
• Florida had its largest lead of the half (26-15) when the Wildcats countered with a 16-0 run. Oweh had 10 points during the spurt and Brea added the other six.
  • Kentucky never trailed again.
• Florida rallied to tie at 40 but UK replied with a 10-0 run.
• A steal and driving layup by Butler gave UK a 52-42 lead at halftime as the Wildcats made 13 of their last 16 shots of the opening period.

In the Second Half

• Kentucky began the second half with the starters.
• Florida came out hot, scoring 27 points in the first eight minutes to pull within 70-69 at the 12:05 mark.
• Oweh quelled the advance with a short jumper, two free throws and a driving jumper, sparking a 10-0 run to make it 80-69.
• With UK ahead 89-80, Florida went on a 7-0 spurt to pull within 89-87, but Butler rescued with a 3-pointer (3:49 left) and two free throws to make it 94-87.
• Carr’s triple with 1:30 left made it 99-91 and the Wildcats held on for the win.