Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Losing one of the best low-post players and rim protectors in the country from the Florida lineup was a killer. Everyone in the Gators' locker room understood that, but also recognized that with Colin Castleton's season-ending injury last week came both opportunity and increased responsibility.

The former was on full-blown display Wednesday night against Kentucky, as UF coach Todd Golden dipped deep into his bench looking for production. Regarding the latter, at least as it related to a much-needed — make that required — collective effort against one of the best rebounding teams in the country, the Gators had no answers in an 82-74 loss at Exactech Arena.

UK forward Oscar Tshiebwe absolutely beasted his way to 25 points, making 12 of his 13 field goals to lead four players into double-figure scoring. Here's the rub, though: Tshiebwe, the 2022 NCAA and Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, came into the game leading the nation in rebounding at 13.0 per game. He grabbed four. Meanwhile, two other Wildcats banged for double-doubles, with senior Jacob Toppin tallying 19 points and 11 rebounds and freshman Chris Livingston going for 10 points and 15 boards, including the biggest carom of the night. Senior Antonio Reeves was good for 16 points and four assists.

The totality of Kentucky's first-unit domination (UF outscored the UK bench 25-4) overshadowed a magnificent performance from Gators freshman guard Riley Kugel, who poured in a career-high 24 points on seven of 12 from the floor, four of six from distance and six of seven at the free-throw line.

"We were ready to go and ready to give it our all," Kugel said.  Maybe so, but this version of Florida (14-14, 7-8) just did not have the personnel to challenge Kentucky (19-9, 10-5) where it excels the most. The final rebounding carnage showed a one-sided 40-21 advantage for the Cats, including 13-2 on the offensive end and (ouch!) a 15-0 margin in second-chance points. No UF player had more than three rebounds.

"That's their identity," UF sophomore guard/forward Kowacie Reeves said. "We knew going into the game that was the way they could hurt us, with how efficient they are with their offensive rebounding."

As the numbers suggest that deadly efficiency was apparent all night. For the Gators (14-14, 7-8), losers of two straight, getting beat just 12-2 on the offensive end and 13-0 on second-chancers would have been tough enough. And also maybe good enough to maybe even toughen out a win. It was the Cats' last offensive board of the night that proved the biggest.  

Two free throws by Florida fifth-year senior point guard Kyle Lofton pulled his team within 74-72 with 1:12 to go, part of a run of nine straight points after the Gators fell behind by 11 with just under four minutes left.

UF needed one stop — and got it.

The Gators forced point guard Cason Wallace to take a contested, late-clock 3-pointer with 51 seconds to go. The ball caromed off to the right of the rim, where Livingston leaped out of the pack, caught the ball and redirected it back into the basket, getting fouled in the process and sending a deflating sense of angst through the O'Dome.

"We got them to take a tough step-back 3 and just couldn't get the rebound," UF coach Todd Golden said.

Livingston made the free throw for a five-point lead and the Wildcats closed from there, but left the building knowing they'd been in a fight to the finish. Maybe a surprising one, given the absence of Castleton, the team's leader in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots.

"I'm glad we don't play them again," UK coach John Calipari said after his ninth win in the last 10 games against UF, including five straight on the road. "If they keep playing like this, they'll be fine."

Not if they keep rebounding like this, but Calipari's point was taken. Kentucky led by 15 with just over eight minutes to go in the first half, but Florida went on a 22-6 tear to end the period and led 37-36 at the break. The Gators, who shot 53 percent for the period to the Cats' 50, did it by going all-hands-on-deck, summoning seldom-used players like wing Niels Lane (8 points, 2 rebounds, season-high 23 minutes), center Aleks Szymczyk and even freshman point guard Denzel Aberdeen, who had not played in a first half this season. Kentucky started the second half by hitting seven of its first 10 shots to go up seven, but back again came UF to retake the lead with a run of eight straight points, including an old-fashion 3-point play from Lane for a 51-50 edge.

"We battled," Golden said.

Again, it was the Cats surging back in front by six. Again, the Gators chipped away, with another 3-point play from Lane, followed by Reeves 3 that tied the game at 59 with nine minutes to go, with the joint jumping.

From there, though, UK scored on four straight possessions, all on shots on the block, to go ahead by eight. The margin grew to 11 on a dunk by Toppin with 3:43 remaining when the Gators stepped on both ends with four consecutive stops, with three free throws by Kugel and a transition 3 by Richard accounting for the big hitters of the 9-0 run that was capped by Lofton's two late free throws.

That's when the story of the game became the play of the game.

"Our first-shot defense was all right. Not good, not great, but all right. Enough to keep ourselves in the game," Golden said. "I look at the rebounds as obviously the reason why we lost. … Everywhere else we're right there, if not a little bit better than them, whether it's turnovers or field-goal percentage and made 3s. No moral victories, but our effort was pretty good."