Keyontae Johnson led the Gators with 19 points and nine rebounds on Saturday night, but it just wasn't enough to secure the win. Florida (17-10. 9-5 SEC) fell to (22-5, 12-2 SEC) 65-59, ending its three-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, Wildcats guard Immanuel Quickley had a career-high 26 points, 22 points coming in the second half,, to help secure the win for No. 10 Kentucky.
This loss was not about opportunities; UF had them.
Despite, Scottie Lewis sitting for most of the first half due to foul trouble, the Gators went into the break tied at 31. The Gators went 5-of-14 from three in the first half, shooting 46 percent from the floor.
However, Mike White's men had a less than ideal seven minutes in the second half.
The Gators started on the right foot by securing a seven-point second half lead, however, they followed that up by shooting 1-for-11, while Kentucky went on a quick 'Rupp Run' with Quickley hitting eight shots including four three-pointers.
The Wildcats shot 48 percent in the second half, while Florida only shot 41 percent from the floor after the break, which ultimately decided the game.
The Gators did manage to make it into a contest, however, after forcing three Kentucky turnovers late in the game and taking advantage of them - quickly making it into a two-point game with 17.4 second left.
However, Quickley and Tyrese Maxie both netted their free throws in the end to secure the victory for the home side.
In addition to Quickley, Maxie was the only other Wildcat to finish in double figures on Saturday, scoring 13 points on the night.
On the other hand, Florida had three Gators finish in double figures. In addition to Johnson, Kerry Blackshear scored 18 and pulled down six rebounds, while freshman guard Tre Mann had a career-high 13 points. The trio netted 50 of Florida's 59 points, while, Noah Locke went 0-of-5 from the floor - ending his 24-game streak of netting at least one three-pointer.
Florida was also a bit reckless with the ball in the loss, committing 16 turnovers that led to 20 Kentucky points.
Florida sits in fourth place in the SEC after the loss. The Gators will return home on Wednesday night to face LSU (19-8, 10-4) at the O'Dome.
