FLORIDA 86, (7) KENTUCKY 78
(Box Score)
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Jason Williams and Kenyan Weaks each scored 24 points and Florida led for virtually the entire game and upset seventh-ranked Kentucky, 86-78, to snap a 10-game losing streak against their Southeastern Conference rival. Florida (11-7, 4-4 SEC) posted its biggest win of the Billy Donovan era and defeated the Wildcats at Kentucky for the first time since February 1989.
Ironically, Donovan was an assistant coach at Kentucky under Rick Pitino for five years. To add to the irony, Donovan and first-year Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith were on the same staff with Pitino. Donovan is now 24-24 in his second year as Florida coach with this victory easily ranking as his biggest as a head coach.
"It was a great win for our program," said Donovan. "I think it's a tribute to UK that anytime they get beat at home or on the road, it gets completely blown out of proportion. "
The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak for Kentucky (19-3, 8-1 SEC). Cameron Mills scored a career-high 31 points for Kentucky. He hit 8-of-14 shots from 3-point range.
Williams was 8-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc as Florida hit 12-of-21 shots from 3-point range.
Kentucky scored the first basket of the game -- a dunk by Nazr Mohammed 28 seconds into the contest -- and never led the rest of the way. Florida proceeded to score the next seven points on a 3-pointer by Williams, and a dunk and layup by Weaks.
A 20-9 run helped Florida open a 31-16 lead. Williams scored seven points and Brent Wright and Greg Stolt each added 3-pointers in the spurt.
However, Mills connected on three 3-pointers and converted a three-point play in the final 4:38 of the half to help Kentucky pull within 40-34.
Two 3-pointers and a pair of free throws by Mills pulled the Wildcats within 65-59 with just under nine minutes left in the game. But Eddie Shannon scored six points and Williams added a 3-pointer as Florida opened its biggest lead of the second half at 75-62 with under three minutes remaining.
"It seemed like they had an answer for everything," said Kentucky coach Tubby Smith. "We never got into a rhythm and it seemed like we just didn't play with the energy we needed to get a defensive stop or contest shots."
Florida 86, (7) KENTUCKY 78
(Recap)
FLORIDA (86)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Stolt 14 3-7 1-2 2-2 0 4 10
Weaks 32 7-14 8-8 3-7 0 2 24
Maddox 8 0-1 0-0 1-2 0 4 0
J Williams 31 8-10 4-6 1-6 4 1 24
Shannon 38 4-12 2-4 1-4 4 2 11
Wright 30 3-7 4-7 5-7 3 1 12
D Williams 16 0-1 1-2 0-1 4 2 1
Nnaji 21 2-2 0-0 1-6 0 3 4
Horton 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Parker 4 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0
Cristell 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
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TOTALS 200 27-54 20-29 14-36 16 20 86
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Percentages: FG-.500, FT-.690. 3-Point Goals:
12-21, .571 (Stolt 3-5, Weaks 2-4, J Williams
4-5, Shannon 1-4, Wright 2-2, D Williams 0-1).
Team rebounds: 4. Blocked shots: 3 (Wright,
Stolt, Weaks). Turnovers: 18 (Shannon 5, Nnaji 4,
J Williams 3, Stolt 2, Cristell, D Williams,
Horton, Weaks). Steals: 10 (J Williams 4, Shannon
3, Weaks 2, Wright).
KENTUCKY (78)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Padgett 32 3-4 3-4 2-2 3 2 10
Edwards 24 1-5 0-1 0-0 2 5 2
Mohammed 22 2-2 3-5 1-6 0 0 7
Turner 35 2-6 2-2 1-4 6 3 8
Sheppard 24 4-10 1-1 0-2 3 5 9
Mills 20 10-19 3-3 2-2 0 2 31
Evans 24 2-8 0-0 5-10 0 4 4
Magloire 7 2-4 0-0 1-2 0 1 4
Smith 9 0-3 0-1 0-0 3 1 0
Bradley 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Anthony 1 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 3
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TOTALS 200 27-63 12-17 12-28 17 23 78
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Percentages: FG-.429, FT-.706. 3-Point Goals:
12-32, .375 (Padgett 1-2, Edwards 0-1, Turner
2-2, Sheppard 0-5, Mills 8-14, Evans 0-4, Smith
0-2, Anthony 1-2). Team rebounds: 2. Blocked
shots: 3 (Mohammed 3). Turnovers: 13 (Mohammed 3,
Turner 3, Edwards 2, Sheppard 2, Evans, Mills,
Padgett). Steals: 8 (Evans 2, Mohammed 2,
Edwards, Sheppard, Smith, Turner).
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Florida 40 46 - 86
Kentucky 34 44 - 78
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Technical fouls: None. A: 24,186. Officials:
Carl Hess, Gene Monje, Ted Hillary.