GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Anthony Roberson scored 21 points, including two free throws with 15 seconds remaining, and Florida upset No. 3 Kentucky 53-52 on Sunday.
The Gators ended an eight-game losing streak to Kentucky and probably ended the Wildcats’ hopes of getting a top seed in the NCAA tournament.
Roberson, the Southeastern Conference’s leading scorer, stripped the ball from Patrick Sparks with about 12 seconds to play, trailing 52-51. Sparks fouled Roberson as he headed the other way. Roberson stepped to the line and calmly made both ends of the 1-and-1.
Kentucky (23-4, 14-2) still had a chance to win it, but Kelenna Azubuike’s 3-pointer just before the buzzer bounced off the left side of the rim and into Matt Walsh’s hands.
Walsh heaved the ball into the stands as his teammates and the O’Connell Center crowd celebrated Florida’s first win over the Wildcats since 2001. Teammate David Lee jumped onto a court-side table and then ripped off his shirt. Roberson removed his jersey, too.
This one was special.
Roberson, Lee and Walsh combined for 43 of Florida’s 53 points. Lee and Walsh each had 11. Lee, the team’s lone senior who was honored before the game, added 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot.
Chuck Hayes led the Wildcats with 11 points.
Florida (20-7, 12-4) trailed 49-45 with about 2 minutes to play when Walsh made two key baskets. He grabbed a rebound off a miss by Sparks and made the layup on the other end. Sparks also fouled Walsh on the play, and Walsh converted the three-point play.
After Sparks answered with a 3-pointer that made it 52-48, Walsh hit a 3 from well beyond the top of the circle.
The outcome didn’t change either team’s seeding for next week’s SEC tournament, but it could drastically alter their seeding in the NCAA tournament. Kentucky should fall in the polls, and even if the Wildcats win a third straight SEC tournament, it might not be enough to claim one of the top four seeds.
Florida, meanwhile, could return to The Associated Press’ Top 25 for the first time since late November and probably will improve their NCAA seeding.
The Gators are one of four teams – Kentucky, Duke and Maryland are the others – to be seeded sixth or higher in each of the last six NCAA tournaments.
