WHAT HAPPENED: Freshman guard Cason Wallace scored 20 points, including a pair of clutch free throws with 13 seconds remaining, and Kentucky did a wire-to-wire number on visiting Florida, though not without some late drama, on the way to a 72-67 victory in their Southeastern Conference game Saturday night at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats, winners of six consecutive league games, built leads of 13 in the first half and 14 with eight minutes to play before the Gators made things interesting with a couple runs in the final minutes that drew them as close as three points when fifth-year senior guard Myreon Jones hit a 3-pointer with 36.6 seconds remaining. UF immediately fouled forward Jacob Toppin (17 points, 10 rebounds) on the inbound and he missed the front end of a one-and-one at the UK end, with UF rebounding and heading to the halfcourt with a chance to tie. Kentucky's defense forced a contested 3 by Jones that was not close, with Wallace rebounding and icing the game with his two free throws. Florida was led by another terrific game by fifth-year forwardColin Castleton, who finished with a game-high 25 points to go with eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Castleton scored 19 of his points after halftime and got the edge on his UK counterpart, SEC and NCAA Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe. The UK post man was his normal dominant self on the glass in finishing with 15 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end, but scored just four points on only 2-for-14 from the floor and was fouled out by Castleton with 1:38 to go. The Gators' trademark in league play coming in was defense, but that facet of their game did not make the trip to Lexington. UF allowed the Wildcats to hit 45 percent for the game (just the second SEC opponent to eclipse 40 percent) and 54 in the second half. Florida, meanwhile, fell behind by making only two field goals through the game's first 14 minutes and finished at just 41.8 percent for the game, but a decent 55 in the second half, with Castleton going nine of 16 from the floor and seven of seven from the free-throw line. The Gators also got 13 points each from fifth-year point guardKyle Lofton and sophomore guard Will Richard.
Fifth-year forward Colin Castleton skies for a rebound Saturday night.
WHAT IT MEANS: Chalk up another Quadrant 1 loss, which makes the Gators 2-8 in that NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) category. While at it, chalk up another road loss against the Wildcats, as UF fell to 11-54 all-time in Lexington and now sit alone in sixth place in the SEC standings. There are other Q1 opportunities on the schedule, including one in four days (read on), but stealing one on the road would have given the Gators some breathing room in the NET. Instead, they have to protect the home floor in their remaining four home games, win the ones they're supposed to win on the road and probably get to Friday at the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn., next month. UF's magic NCAA Tournament number, with its loaded strength of schedule, is probably 19.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: In both games against Tswiebwe during the 2022 campaign, Castleton was playing through a shoulder injury that cost him six games earlier in the season and required surgery after the season. He's healthy now and gave the Cats' star fits on the offensive end. He's playing spectacularly.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gators shot 26.9 percent in the first half and made things interesting by going 16-for-29 from the floor (55.2 percent in the second). That's an outstanding half of offense in a place like Rupp.
UP NEXT: Florida (13-10, 6-4) wraps its brutal four-game run with a third game against a top-five team with a road date at No. 4 Alabama (20-3, 10-0), which remained unbeaten in league play Saturday by winning 79-69 at LSU. The Crimson Tide, who have beaten the Gators each of the last two seasons, have won 11 of their previous 12 games, with the lone blip a 93-69 road loss at Oklahoma in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge a week ago. Bama responded to that defeat by beating Vanderbilt three nights later by 57 points.
