Late Rally Falls Short as Cats Fall to Gators
Otega Oweh scored 28 points but Kentucky could not overcome a slow start and the Cats lost to No. 5 Florida 84-77 on Saturday at Rupp Arena.
Denzel Aberdeen had 15 points for the Cats and Mo Dioubate added 10.
Kentucky (19-12, 10-8 Southeastern Conference) got 19 points off the bench to aid in a second-half rally that came up just short.
Florida scored the game’s first 11 points before Andrija Jelavic scored in the lane for the Cats. UK got a free throw from Dioubate and a three-point play from Oweh to cut the deficit to 11-6. A Dioubate three got the Cats within two but Florida answered with five consecutive points.
Oweh scored in the lane then hit a three to cut the deficit to 16-14, but Florida hit two free throws to lead by four. An Oweh three got the Cats within one but Florida scored to lead 20-17. A Brandon Garrison putback got UK within one again but again, Florida responded with 13 straight points to lead 33-19.
Dioubate made a free throw but Florida made a layup to lead by 15. An Oweh three cut the deficit to 35-23 but the Gators scored four in a row to lead 39-23. A Garrison tip in got the Cats within 14 but Florida outscored Kentucky by three the rest of the half to lead 49-32 at the break. Oweh had 17 points in the first 20 minutes.
Florida scored the first two points of the second half before Malachi Moreno scored on a putback for the Cats, then Jelavic converted a dunk to cut the deficit to 51-36. The Gators would score to lead by 17 again.
A Collin Chandler dunk cut the deficit to 53-38 but Florida responded with a three-point play to lead by 18. Aberdeen then hit a three, but the Gators responded with a three of their own. Garrison scored underneath but the Gators answered again and led 61-43.
Kentucky got two free throws from Aberdeen and a Jasper Johnson three to cut the deficit to 61-48 but the Gators scored seven in a row to lead by 20.
Moreno scored underneath and Jelavic hit a three to cut the UF lead to 68-53 but the Gators scored three straight to lead 71-53.
The Cats got a bucket from Oweh, another from Aberdeen, then two Oweh free throws to cut the deficit to 71-59. After a Florida basket, UK got a bucket from Dioubate and two Oweh free throws to get within 10. The Gators made one free throw before Dioubate scored three in a row to cut the deficit to 74-66. Florida scored again and led by 10 with 2:06 to play.
UK kept climbing back, eventually getting as close as five points late in the game, but could not get over the hump.
Kentucky returns to action in the SEC Tournament in Nashville next week. The date, time and opponent are yet to be decided.
