Compiled by UK Athletics
KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTGAME NOTES EXACTECH ARENA AT THE STEPHEN C. O’CONNELL CENTER | GAINESVILLE, FLA.
MARCH 7, 2020 ATTENDANCE: 9,767
Final Score: No. 6/6 Kentucky 71, Florida 70
Team Records and Series Notes
Kentucky concluded the regular season 25-6 overall. UK, which clinched its 49th Southeastern Conference regular-season championship last weekend with a win over Auburn, finished the 2020 SEC season at 15-3 and with a three-game cushion in the league. Florida competed its regular season with a 19-12 record, 11-7 in the league.
UK leads the series 104-40 and has won four in a row,including both games this season.
Kentucky leads 37-26 in games played in Gainesville, Florida, including two straight victories.
Next up: Kentucky heads to the postseason. The Wildcats have earned the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament and will face the winner of the 8-9 game on Friday at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT) at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Entering Saturday’s games, five teams – Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas – were in play for the 8 and 9 seeds.
Team Notes
It was a wild week, as the Wildcats lost a 17-point lead in the second half Tuesday at home vs. Tennessee before rallying from 18 points down today, the second-biggest comeback of the John Calipari era at Kentucky. The last time Kentucky won after trailing by 18 points or more came on Feb. 28, 2017, when the Wildcats rallied from 19 down at home against Vanderbilt (25-6, 8:03 first half). The Wildcats are now 55-13 under John Calipari in “bounce back” games following a loss. Kentucky led only 11 seconds in the game, following EJ Montgomery’s game-winning tip-in. UK won despite allowing Florida to shoot 52.1% from the field, the second game in a row that the Wildcats’ opponent shot 50% or better from the field.
It’s UK’s first victory this season in four tries when allowing the opponent to shoot 50% or better. Kentucky still managed to win by grabbing 14 offensive rebounds and leading second-chance points 21-6. As Florida did, UK also shot it well today. The Cats shot 47.4% from the field, including 61.5% from 3-point range (8 of 13) and 81.8% at the foul line. Entering the game leading the SEC at 79.6% at the foul line, Kentucky made 9 of 11 free throws (81.8%).
UK has made at least 75% at the line in 14 straight games. In 25 of 31 games, the margin has been seven or fewer points in the last seven minutes.
This was the 17th game this season within one possession in the final six minutes. Kentucky ended the season 8-2 in true road games.
The starting lineup consisted of Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley, Keion Brooks Jr., EJ Montgomery and Nick Richards for the first time this season. Johnny Juzang came into the game at the 18:20 mark as UK’s first substitution.
Player Notes
Nick Richards, with a dominant second half, scored in double figures for the third straight game with 19 points, to go along with a game-high seven rebounds.
Richards scored 13 points during UK’s 30-11 game-ending run. The junior was 7 of 11 from the floor with 17 points in the second half after going 1 for 7 in the first half with two points.
Playing a career-high 33 minutes, Johnny Juzang provided 10 points off the bench for his second career game in double figures. He was 3 for 3 from the floor in the first half with seven points to keep the Wildcats close.
Nate Sestina provided big minutes (26) off the bench with nine points and six rebounds.
His 26 minutes were his most since Feb. 18 at LSU.
Keion Brooks Jr. tallied 10 points, his fifth double-figure game of the season, all Wildcat wins.
He hit his first 3-pointer since the Fairleigh Dickinson game on Dec. 7 and would hit a another one in the second half, his most in a game this season. He entered the game with three 3-pointers this season, all made consecutively in three consecutive games in late November and early December.
With 12 points, Immanuel Quickley extended his double-digit scoring streak to 20 consecutive games, the best streak since Malik Monk’s 30 straight games in 2016-17.
He also extended his 3-point streak to 11 consecutive games. Quickley fouled out with 9:04 left in the game. A testament to how well he’s played during this 20-game run, his 12 points are his fewest since totaling 11 vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 29.
EJ Montgomery made the game-winning shot, a tip-in with 11 seconds left on Brooks’ only miss of the game.
Ashton Hagans did not make the trip to Florida for personal reasons. John Calipari’s statement before the game: “He and I met a couple days ago and he asked to step away for a couple days for personal reasons. I support his decision. We are going to need him at 100% for the postseason.”
Coach John Calipari
Calipari is now 330-77 at UK. He has a 775-217 all-time on-court record. UK is 267-44 vs. Associated Press unranked foes under Calipari. Kentucky is 151-41 under Calipari in SEC regular-season games. Calipari is 19-8 all-time vs. Florida. The Wildcats are 6-5 in Gainesville under Calipari.
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