GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Kentucky Wildcats completed a regular-season sweep of a Southeastern Conference rival Saturday night, overcoming a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Tennessee 74-71. Now, Kentucky (17-7, 8-3 SEC) turns its attention to a challenging road matchup against the No. 14 Florida Gators (18-6, 9-2 SEC) at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center this afternoon.
The Wildcats’ recent surge, having won eight of their last nine games, has propelled them into contention for a top spot in the SEC standings. Kentucky’s victory over the Volunteers was fueled by a second-half comeback sparked by defensive adjustments, according to analysis of the game. Otega Oweh led the Wildcats with 21 points, continuing a stretch of consistent performance.
Florida, the defending national champion, enters the game on a four-game winning streak. The Gators defeated No. 25 Kentucky 92-83 on February 13th, according to reports. Thomas Haugh leads Florida in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game. Rueben Chinyelu has averaged 13.6 points over the last 10 games for the Gators.
Kentucky coach Mark Pope emphasized the importance of the week off leading up to the Florida game. “Our guys have had a chance to recover and recuperate a little bit, I think, emotionally and physically, and give us some time to catch our breath,” Pope said Thursday. “I think we’re probably a little bit healthier than we’ve been, and a little bit more energized. So we’re excited to get to the next three weeks.”
The game is slated to tip off at 3 p.m. EST and will be broadcast nationally on ABC. Tom Leach and Jack Givens will call the game on the UK Radio Network.
Kentucky is a 12½-point underdog, according to DraftKings, with the over/under set at 152½ points. The moneyline favors Florida at -1200, while Kentucky is at +750.
Last season, Kentucky defeated Florida 106-100 at Rupp Arena, marking the Gators’ first loss of the 2024-25 campaign.