Kentucky (30-1, 16-0 SEC) secured a 74-59 win over Florida (22-9, 10-6 SEC) Sunday at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla., to earn a perfect SEC record for the first time since the 2003 season.
“(The Gators) are good,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “That’s as good as we’ve played all year.”
In claiming their first 30-win regular-season in school history, the Cats also became the only No. 1 team to ever play in the O’Connell Center.
“It’s a great accomplishment just because I feel we did it together,” sophomore forward Terrence Jones said. “Every player that played contributed and played with confidence.”
Jones scored the Cats’ first eight points to give them an 8-2 lead. Three minutes in, Doron Lamb buried a three to bring the Cats’ lead to 11-4.
“(Jones) came out very strong,” freshman forward Anthony Davis said. “I think if Terrence played like that every game, I think it’d be very hard for anyone to beat us.”
But the Gators strung together a 10-2 run to give Florida its first lead of the game ,14-13, with 13:56 to play in the half.
UK’s deficit didn’t last long. The Cats immediately reclaimed the lead, scoring six straight points to make the score 19-14. Later UK pieced together a 9-4 run to lead 28-18 with 7:44 to play in the first half.
The Cats continued to maintain control of the pace, leading 36-22 with five minutes to play in the half. Jones counted for 15 points in the first half and ended the game with 19 points, four rebounds and two steals.
“If he plays that way for us, we’re not just good,” Caliari said. “We’re real good.”
UK went into the locker room at the half with an eight point lead at 40-32.
Florida came out attacking at the start of the second half. The Gators strung together a 12-6 run to close the lead to 46-44 with 16:31 to play. While the Cats were defending the perimeter throughout the first half, Florida found a way around it and attacked down low to score from all angles.
“Florida played well,” Calipari said.
Young, a sophomore forward, ended the game with 21 points and nine rebounds, performing on pace with Davis, who recorded 22 points and 12 rebounds.
“They couldn’t get their threes up because we are long, but Patric Young is a beast. If Patric Young plays like that, they’re fine in the postseason.”
But the Cats matched Florida in scoring. Davis pulled up for a 3-pointer — his second of the season — and Jones made a three to give UK a 64-55 lead with 7:41 to play.
As the SEC tournament approaches next week, UK prepares for New Orleans to kick off postseason play, and the idea of the potential help a loss could bring is not in the players’ minds.
“We don’t worry about losing,” Davis said. “We just try to go out here and play as hard as we can and try to get better.”