Florida Gators

What Happened

Kentucky freshman forward Aaron Bradshaw hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:23 to play, backup freshman guard Reed Sheppard was perfect on six free-throw attempts over the final 19 seconds and the sixth-ranked Wildcats came from behind in the second half for an 87-85 road victory Saturday afternoon in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams at sold-out Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center. UK guard Antonio Reeves led five Cats into double-figure scoring with 19 points, with grad-transfer forward Tre Mitchell posting a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Sheppard finished with 14 points to help the Wildcats win a fifth consecutive game at the O'Dome, dating to 2019, and 10th of the last 11 in the series. The Gators had a slim chance to tie at the final buzzer when freshman forward Alex Condon was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with 0.4 to play. Condon made the first two free throws and intentionally missed the third, hoping for a miracle tip-in by a teammate, but the ball was batted away. The Gators were led by guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Zyon Pullin, both of whom scored 23 points. Guard Riley Kugel came off the bench to score 15, with center Micah Handlogten tallying six points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Florida led by 11 inside two minutes to play in the first half and by three at the break, 45-37, but Kentucky started the second half better than its first and grabbed a brief lead four minutes into the second half. UF got it back immediately and held it for most of the rest of the way -- up five inside seven minutes -- until the 7-foot Bradshaw swished his 3 from the top of the key for the lead to break a tie at 76-all, part of a 5-for-6 finish from the floor for the Wildcats. The Gators' next two possessions netted no points, allowing the Wildcats to go up by five, then leaving matters to Reed, a 90-percent free-throw shooter on the season. Kentucky led for just 5:25 of the game (but for all of the final 1:23).  

What it Means

UF's first home loss of the season is yet another missed opportunity at a Quadrant 1 victory, the likes of which pad postseason resumes and makes a program's case for March. The Gators have just two Q-1 wins the last two seasons in 19 opportunities. 

In the Spotlight

The spotlight (and pressure) was firmly on Sheppard, whose father is UK legend and two-time national champions Jeff Sheppard. He did not disappoint the heavy helping of Big Blue fans int he house. 

Staggering Statistic

UF junior guard Will Richard came in on a five-game tear when he was averaging 17.6 points on 52.5 percent from the floor and 43 from the 3-point line. He finished with two points (on free throws) and went 0-for-8 from the floor and 0-for-7 from the arc over 22 minutes. As a team, the Gators shot 8-for-20 from the arc in the first half, but just 1-for-11 in the second half. 

Up Next

Florida (10-4, 0-1) gets its first SEC road date Wednesday night at Ole Miss (13-0, 0-0), which began the day as one of the nation's three unbeaten teams (along with Houston and James Madison), but will have its hands full Saturday night at fifth-ranked Tennessee. The Gators have lost three straight at Oxford, dating to the 2018 season, as well as four of the previous five.