LEXINGTON, Ky. (WDRB) -- What has been a concern most of the season for Kentucky now has become a full-fledged worry. The No. 10-ranked Wildcats simply could not get stops in big situations in a key Southeastern Conference matchup against Florida in Rupp Arena on Wednesday night.
Kentucky, the SEC’s No. 2 scoring team and the top shooting team in the nation, again struggled to make enough big defensive plays late, and saw its own scoring stall at the end of overtime in a 94-91 loss to Florida before a packed house in Rupp Arena.
Florida is a talented offensive team itself -- 14th in the nation in offensive efficiency. But Kentucky held the advantage most of the way but picked a bad time to go cold — missing five straight shots after taking an 87-86 lead with 2:49 to play in the extra period.
Florida’s three-point shooting was the difference. The Gators made 12 of 28 from distance, including 7 of 13 shooting from beyond the arc from Walter Clayton Jr., whose pump fake and three-pointer with three seconds left tied the game at the end of regulation.
His three in overtime, with 1:42 to play, put the Gators up 89-87, giving them a lead they would not relinquish.
Kentucky shot 10 of 26 from beyond the arc, and did not make a three in overtime until Reed Sheppard buried a long three from the top of the key with 10.5 seconds left and the issue largely settled. (Kentucky actually stole Florida’s ensuing inbounds pass, but did not get a three-pointer off, instead getting a pair of free throws from Reed Sheppard after a put-back attempt.)
The game was Kentucky’s 20th this season without its full roster. There had been some hope that the Wildcats might have all hands on deck, but UK coach John Calipari announced before the game that DJ Wagner (ankle) and Justin Edwards (knee) would miss the game.
Most SEC coaches will roll their eyes at the notion of Kentucky being shorthanded, even without a couple of five-star freshmen. The Wildcats had regained Adou Thiero before Saturday’s win at Arkansas after an eight-game absence and got talented freshman Rob Dillingham back after he missed Saturday’s game.
The Wildcats needed everybody they could get against a Florida team that had led most of the way before Kentucky snatched a victory late in Gainesville on Jan. 6.
The Gators matched Kentucky shot-for-shot in Rupp, though this time it was the Wildcats who led most of the way. But Kentucky tired late, largely owning to Calipari playing the last 10:35 of regulation and the first 2 1/2 minutes of overtime without making a single substitution.
Kentucky’s only real breathing room came in the first half, when the Wildcats took a 41-31 lead behind a 12-1 run, sparked by three-pointers from Reed Sheppard and Antonio Reeves. But Florida answered with five straight points to finish the half, and after scoring the first six points of the second half found themselves with a 42-41 lead.
The game was a dogfight from then on, with both teams having trouble stopping the other.
Florida muscled its way inside and was sharp from three-point range. Kentucky kept pace with Florida from distance and did its own damage on drives.
Kentucky went cold late, missing eight out of 10 shots after taking a 67-64 lead with 9:37 to play. Florida had its own struggles, missing four straight after taking a 73-72 lead.
All that left the game tied at 77 at the final media timeout with 3:21 to play.
Reeves calmly banked home a runner in the lane when play resumed, just as the shot clock expired, then Kentucky got a stop on the other end. Then followed a frenetic 40 seconds. Florida stole a Sheppard pass along the baseline. By the time Florida’s Zyon Pullen made it past halfcourt with the ball, Sheppard had already raced back to steal the ball back.
But Tre Mitchell missed a layup on the break, then Sheppard blocked a shot on the other end and Reeves was fouled after the rebound and made both free throws to put UK up 81-77.
Florida scored on a put-back, but couldn’t take advantage of a Reeves turnover under the basket when Riley Kugel fired up an airball from three-point range.
When Ugonna Onyenso scored on a put-back of a Dillingham missed three, Kentucky led 83-79 with 37 seconds left.
Tyrese Samuel scored in the post to make it 83-81 with 15 seconds to play and Florida fouled Dillingham with 13.5 seconds left. The freshman made the first but missed the second, leaving the door open, and Florida flooded through.
Clayton Jr. pump-faked, watched Sheppard fly by, then buried a three-pointer – his sixth of regulation -- with three seconds left to tie the game.
In overtime, little came easy for either offense. Kentucky led 87-86 with two minutes to play, after Dillingham had to leave the game with a cramp.
Clayton buried another three with 1:32 left to put Florida up 89-87. Dillingham missed a layup out of a Kentucky timeout, and Florida scored to take a lead it would not give up.
The loss the second this season in Rupp Arena for Kentucky, which falls to 15-5, 5-2 with its second-loss in three-games with No. 5 Tennessee set to visit Lexington on Saturday.
Sheppard led Kentucky with 24 points, while Dillingham finished with 20 and Reeves added 19. Onyenso came just two blocks short of a triple-double, finishing with 13 points, 16 rebounds and eight blocks.
Clayton led Florida with 23 points and Samuel added 22 to go with 13 rebounds.
Florida, which improved to 15-6, 5-3 in the SEC, went 16 of 22 from the line, while Kentucky made 11 of 17 free-throws.
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