Feb. 4, 2003
Recap?|?Box Score?|?Quotes?|?Photo Gallery
Final score: Kentucky 70, Florida 55
Kentucky is now 17-3 overall and 7-0 in the Southeastern Conference, the lone remaining unbeaten in league play.
Florida is now 18-3 overall and 7-1 in SEC action, breaking a 14-game win streak by the Gators.
Kentucky won its 11th in a row tonight. It is Kentucky’s longest win streak since the 1998 National Champions won their final 13 games of the season.
During the 11-game win streak, UK opponents have averaged 19.4 turnovers per game, including 19 by Florida tonight. Kentucky has outscored its opponents by an average of 16.4 points per game during the streak.
Kentucky now has an all-time record of 5-9 against No. 1-ranked teams, including 2-0 against No. 1 opponents in Rupp Arena. The Wildcats defeated No. 1-ranked Indiana, 69-58, on Dec. 15, 1979.
Kentucky is 7-1 against ranked opponents this season.
Florida was held to 55 points and 34 percent field goal shooting. The Gators’ previous lows this season were 58 points and 34.5 percent from the field in a 58-57 win over Florida State on Dec. 6.
Kentucky has held five of its last six opponents under 40 percent from the field.
Key run: ahead 22-18 in the first half, UK closed the first half with a 23-4 run for a 45-22 lead at intermission. UK continued with a 5-1 run at the beginning of the second half for a 50-23 lead and a total run of 28-5 over both halves.
Kentucky’s largest lead was 29 points at 60-31.
Kentucky won points in the paint, 40-18.
Kentucky won despite scoring its fewest points in a half this season (25 in the second half) and attempting a season-low three free throws.
Junior guard Cliff Hawkins’ eight assists are the most by a Wildcat this season.
Tonight’s game featured a Rupp Arena record crowd of 24,459. The previous record was 24,340 against Louisville in 1995. The new “e-Rupp-tion Zone” installed this season added approximately 200 additional bodies to the capacity.
Kentucky now leads the Florida series 79-24, including 41-6 in games played in Lexington. The Wildcats have won three in a row against the Gators.
Kentucky returns to action Saturday at 3 p.m. EST at Ole Miss. The game will be a live regional telecast on JP Sports.
