In a thriller that went down to the final buzzer the Gators had a slim chance at tipping back an intentionally missed free throw from Alex Condon to tie but the attempt came up empty and the Kentucky Wildcats claimed a 87-85 win. With a “March” atmosphere in the O’Dome both teams played with a high level of intensity and with the game tied at 76 with under four minutes remaining it was the Wildcats who were able to out-execute the Gators and get the win. Leading the way for Kentucky was guard Antonio Reeves who had 19 points.
Late Game Execution
Florida’s identity is playing fast in transition and hammering the offensive glass and while that has served them well for the bulk of games it’s tough to be able to do those things in the crunch time. With 3:10 remaining in the second half a pair of Walter Clayton free throws put the Gators up 76-74 and into the driver’s seat, but in the subsequent possessions Kentucky dominated. The Wildcats scored on three of their next four possessions while the Gators were 0-3 plus a turnover in their next four possessions, and the 81-76 lead Kentucky took with those plays was ultimately the difference in this game. Not only were Florida’s possessions empty, but they hardly moved the ball or pressured Kentucky’s defense at all–and these possessions ended with low-quality shots. Florida played 36 minutes of winning basketball, but their inability to create a good shot in the biggest moments of the game ultimately led to their defeat.
Shooting Struggles
As has been the case in a number of games this season the Gators struggled from the free throw line and from behind the arc, and in a game they lost by one possession a lot of these misses will haunt them. From the free throw line they went 18-29 (62%), while from behind the arc they went 9-31 (29%). It’s also worth noting that two of those three-point makes were unintentional bank shots, one of which was from near halfcourt from Zyon Pullin at the end of the first half, so it very easily could have been worse. The Gators were able to generate points in transition and with the offensive rebound but struggling to create and make quality shots in the halfcourt has continued to be an issue.
Bright Spots
While this was an awfully frustrating game for the Gators, there were definitely some bright spots. First, the defense. Kentucky has been a potent offense this season and the Gators slowed them down, particularly from the three-point line. Shooting an incredible 41.6% from three this season (second best in the country) Kentucky has shooters all over the floor but you wouldn’t have known it with how they played against the Gators. Florida’s guards did an excellent job of keeping the Wildcats from getting open looks, and generally the Gators will be happy with their defensive performance.
Florida will also be ecstatic with the play of Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton who both had 23 points a piece. You could easily make a case these were the two best guards in this game, and while it may make it even more frustrating to Florida that they lost while having this distinction, it’s encouraging that this backcourt could be one of the best in the country.
Riley Kugel also played an excellent game off the bench with 15 points. He did have some head scratching turnovers but he also hit some big shots–and the Gators will be pumped to see him start to regain some of that scoring touch.
Final Thoughts
There is certainly a “glass half full” and “glass half empty” approach you could have to a game like this. On the optimistic side, the Gators played a good defensive game against a potent offense and their backcourt of Walter Clayton and Zyon Pullin outplayed a perimeter-powered Wildcats team. On the pessimistic side, the Gators continue to struggle with the same elements of the game they have since game one of the season. They aren’t efficient in the half court, they haven’t executed late, and they continue to struggle mightily from the free throw line. Florida will look to show improvements before Wednesday when they take on Ole Miss.