Top-ranked Kentucky held off No. 8 Florida in their first meeting with a ranked opponent since New Year’s Eve. | SI.com: Box Score
Kentucky Vs. Florida, Halftime Score: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Powers Wildcats To 38-26 Halftime Lead
The Gators jumped out to an early 5-0 lead but it was fleeting.
They scored a mere 11 points in the final eleven minutes and the Wildcats eventually closed the half on a 21-9 run to blow things wide open. Florida will have to come up with a solid gameplan to overcome Kidd-Gilchrist and Lamb in the second half. Easier said than done.
Read Article >No. 1 Kentucky Vs. No. 7 Florida: Wildcats, Gators Meet In SEC Clash
LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 21: Anthony Davis #23 of the Kentucky Wildcats dunks the ball during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena on January 21, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Getty ImagesNo. 1 Kentucky and No. 7 Florida have battled for control of the SEC on the hardwood for the better part of a decade. On Tuesday, their rivalry is renewed for the first time in the 2011-12 season, with Billy Donovan’s Gators traveling to Lexington to meet the top-ranked Wildcats at Rupp Arena.
The Kentucky-Florida game will tip off at 7 p.m. Eastern from Rupp Arena, and will be televised nationally by ESPN.
Read Article >No. 1 Kentucky Vs. No. 8 Florida: Wildcats Face Toughest Test Of 2012
Getty ImagesCollege basketball’s Rivalry Week™ features all sorts of different matchups -- battles for conference titles, NCAA tournament eligibility, etc. Technically Florida could tie Kentucky in the loss column with a win tonight at Rupp Arena, but that is at least reasonably unlikely. (Ken Pomeroy currently gives the Wildcats an 85-percent chance of winning.) Instead, perhaps the most intriguing aspect of tonight’s game will be watching Florida probe Kentucky for weaknesses. Despite extreme youth, Kentucky currently looks like the most well-rounded team in the country; they have lost just once and played only two other games decided by six points or less, and as March approaches, it seems a pretty good time to figure out what, and who, might be capable of knocking off the Wildcats when it counts the most.
This year’s top two UK freshmen are big and (of course) talented, and the Wildcats’ identity has followed suit. They are a strong rebounding team, and thanks to Davis, they are the No. 1 shot-blocking team in the country. To beat them, you probably have to catch fire from long-range and battle incredibly hard on the glass; so far, only Indiana (9-for-15 on 3-pointers, 12 offensive rebounds) has managed to pull off that feat.
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