Florida vs. Kentucky score, takeaways: No. 14 Gators steadily power past No. 25 ‘Cats in O’Dome

Basketball

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Image Credit: UAA

It may not have been the cleanest performance the team has put together recently, but the No. 14 Florida Gators nevertheless maintained their momentum on Saturday inside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, completing a 92-83 win over the No. 25 Kentucky Wildcats. The Gators have now won five straight and 10 of their last 11 games, taking down the Wildcats in the first meeting between the long-time rivals in Gainesville, Florida, since 2024 due to SEC schedule changes.

Two pairs of Florida players respectively dominated the halves of Saturday’s game with the Gators again proving they have enough firepower to win against the best teams in the nation, even if they do not play complete basketball for 60 minutes. UF also flashed again from 3-point range, perhaps showing improvement in a key area that has haunted the program over the majority of the season.

Let’s take a look at what went down Saturday afternoon with some Fastbreak Takeaways.

It was over when … sophomore guard Boogie Fland registered his third steal with 15.5 seconds remaining, subsequently draining two free throws to push Florida ahead by nine points. The Gators went 5 of 8 from the line over a span of 50 seconds inside the final 90 seconds, allowing the Wildcats to play their way back into the game with offensive rebounds and multiple 3-point opportunities, cutting their deficit to just five points with 37 seconds remaining.

Kentucky used a 7-0 run to cut what was once a 15-point deficit to a single basket just 90 seconds into the second half; however, Florida quickly answered, scoring six straight to regain an eight-point lead and enter the bonus with nearly 16 minutes to play. Juniors forward Alex Condon and guard Urban Klavžar stepped up when UF needed some plays made, combining for 18 straight points over nearly 10 minutes, including a 9-0 run that, at one point, moved the Gators ahead by a game-high 16. Klavžar, in particular, made clutch 3-pointers that atoned for poor possessions and lacking ball movement. He and Condon accounted for 49% of UF’s second-half scoring.

First half focus: Senior G Xaivian Lee hit his first three long-range attempts, combining with junior F Thomas Haugh to score 25 of Florida’s first 30 points. The Gators used runs of 8-0 and 6-0 to mount a 15-point lead, scoring 16 points off eight Wildcats turnovers — all forced in the first 10:32 of the game. Kentucky bounced back, though, queiting the crowd by attacking after failed offensive possessions and piecing together a 10-0 run, cutting its deficit by two-thirds. UF made three of the last four baskets in the half, though, taking a nine-point lead into the break.

Exceptional efforts: Klavžar was relatively quiet in the first half, but his performance over the latter 30 minutes saved a relative dogfight down the stretch. He finished with 19 points on 7 of 13 shooting, hitting 5 of 11 attempts from beyond the arc. Lee was the antithesis of Klavžar, finding his fire in the first half before taking some rushed, questionable shots in the latter period. He walked off 4 of 7 from long range with a game-high 22 points and three assists, going 4 of 4 from the charity stripe with some clutch late makes.

Haugh was similarly silent in the second half, scoring 12 of his 17 points in the opening stanza and adding eight rebounds. Condon again played patient, smart basketball, taking advantage of some opportunities while creating others on his own, finishing with a double-double of 13 points and 11 boards. Junior center Rueben Chinyelu did not have his best performance, yet he still managed 10 points and 11 rebounds, his eighth double-double over UF’s last 10 games.

Odds & ends: Florida improved 43-111 all-time against Kentucky, 27-41 in the O’Dome and 2-4 under head coach Todd Golden, who beat UK at home for the first time … UF hosted this series on Saturday for the first time in two years, given changes to SEC scheduling that no longer have these teams as home-and-home rivals … the Gators improved to 17-1 when leading at halftime, 19-1 when leading with 5 minutes left, 19-4 when outreboudning an opponent, 14-1 when shooting 45% or better from the field, 17-0 when outshooting an opponent, 15-2 when attempting more free throws, 12-2 when winning the bench scoring battle, 18-2 when 4+ players score in double figures and 12-0 when 5+ players score in double figures

What it means: This was a game that past Florida teams would have lost — seeing a 15-point lead nearly disintegrate, going back up 16 points and then seeing that advantage disappear, too — but for the second straight year, Golden coached the Gators around total implosion. The storyline for most of the game was Florida needing a player other than Lee and Haugh to step up, and then suddenly, not one but two players (Klavžar and Condon) did exactly that. Chinyelu also shook off a shockingly slow start to become an impact player in the second half, even if he was a bit sloppy with the ball.

Lee did commit two turnovers after three straight clean sheets, but he’s nevertheless been on a roll the last four games with 56 points, 15 assists, five steals and just two giveaways in that span. That has coincided with Fland realizing the best way he can contribute is with distribution and defense. He has 14 assists and 14 steals over the last four games, though he went 0 of 3 from downtown, airballing two attempts and falling to 1 of 20 from long range (.050) since Jan. 17. Still, Florida made 35.7% of its triples, exceeding its power conference-worst efficiency (.292) for the fifth time in eight games.

What’s next? Florida completes its second homestand of the conference campaign when it hosts South Carolin on Tuesday. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. ET and air live nationally on SEC Network.