FINAL: Kentucky 78, Florida 57
Saturday, February 12, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
AT THE BUZZER
No. 5 KENTUCKY 75, FLORIDA 57
No. 5 KENTUCKY 75, FLORIDA 57
WHAT HAPPENED: Forward Oscar Tshiebwe scored 27 points, grabbed 19 rebounds, carded three steals, two assists and was an absolutely beastly force in the post in the fifth-ranked Wildcats victory Saturday at sold-out Rupp Arena. Tshiebwe, the 6-foot-9, 255-pound transfer from West Virginia and nation's leader in rebounds, hit 11 of 18 shots, five of six free throws, grabbed 10 boards on the offensive end and played every bit to his status as leading contender for 2022 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and first-team All American. UK, meanwhile, looked every bit the part of a national-title contender in winning its sixth straight and improving to 15-0 at home. The Cats started the game on fire, hitting eight of their first 10 shots, including a trio of 3-pointers by guard Kellen Grady (15 points) and jumped to a 20-6 lead less than six minutes in. Playing from that far behind so early is hardly a recipe for success at Rupp, but the Gators managed to make things interesting. While UK cooled off, missing nine of its next 10 shots, UF went on a 15-2 run to get within a point, 22-21, but ultimately trailed by five at halftime. Then came a 13-2 blitz by Kentucky to open the half and, in a three-plus-minute blink, the Gators were quickly down 16 and never got closer than eight the rest of the way. UF, in losing its first in the last five games, got 18 points and seven rebounds from forward Colin Castleton, who was the lone Gator to reach double-figure scoring. Fifth-year senior point guard Tyree Appleby left the game in the first half after aggravating the bruised hamstring he suffered Wednesday against Georgia. Appleby tried to go a few minutes in the second half, but left the game for good. Florida shot 44 percent for the game and made just five of 22 from the 3-point line, while the Kentucky, which leads the SEC in scoring, field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage, shot 46.6 percent for the game (51.5 in the second half) and knocked down 10 of 27 from distance. The Cats crushed the Gators on the glass, 41-25, including 18-5 on the offensive end. Tshiebwe, alone, doubled up UF on the offensive end (10-5).
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Tshiebwe, who leads the nation with 18 double-doubles, is a present-day college version of Moses Malone.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: We'll do some digging and find the last opponent to grab 19 rebounds against the Gators. A guess: Shaquille O'Neal.
UP NEXT: Florida (16-9, 6-6) is back on the road Tuesday night with a date at Texas A&M (15-10, 4-8). The Aggies started the SEC season with four wins, but after Saturday's 75-58 loss at No. 1 Auburn they've now dropped eight in a row. Even so, as of Saturday night, A&M was still ranked at No. 73 in the NET standings. If that holds, then UF's game at College Station will represent a Q-1 opportunity. The Gators need all of those they can get.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballAlex Lloyd Media Availability 10-7-25
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CJ Ingram Media Availability 10-7-25
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Urban Klavzar Media Availability 10-7-25
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Rueben Chinyelu Media Availability 9-30-25
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