What Happened

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Fifth-year guard Koby Brea came off the bench to score 23 points, raining seven 3-pointers, and 10th-ranked Kentucky shredded sixth-ranked and previously unbeaten Florida with six players in double-figure scoring and 58-percent shooting on the way to a 106-100 victory in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams Saturday at sold-out Rupp Arena. 

Brea, the transfer from Dayton and best 3-point shooter in college basketball the last two seasons, was eight of 11 from the floor and a daggering seven of nine from distance. He was biggest part of a UK long-range arsenal that buried 14 of 29 from the arc (48.3 percent) against a UF defense that began the day allowing just 26.6 percent on the season, which ranked second-best in the country. The Wildcats’ last 3 came when the Gators, in need of a stop down four with 1:30 to go, allowed forward Andrew Carr (12 points) get wide open to put UK up seven with 1:25 left. 

After Brea, the Cats spread-out their scoring from their all-transfer rotation with 17 points and eight assists from point guard Lamont Butler, 16 points from guard Otega Oweh, 15 points plus eight boards from forward Amari Williams and 12 from guard Jaxson Robinson. 

UF guard Walter Clayton Jr. was sensational in defeat, finishing with a career high-tying 33 points, including 6-for-12 from deep, but also had five turnovers over his 34 minutes. Grad guard Alijah Martin had 26 points, with five 3s, sophomore center Rueben Chinyelu had 10 points and eight rebounds, while backup forward Thomas Haugh posted 11 points. The Gators shot 55 percent for the game, including 62 in the second half, out-rebound the Cats 38-30, but struggled at the free-throw line at just 22 of 35 (62.9 percent), and could not overcome an 11-point Kentucky lead built by devastating first-half flurry. 

Florida was cruising along, up 11, at 26-15, when the Rupp roof caved in. From there, UK went on a wicked run of 16 consecutive points, including a trio of 3s from Brea, on the way outscoring the visitors 37-16 over the final 11 minutes of the half to go to the locker room up 52-42. The Cats shot 56.8 percent for the period, including 7-for-16 from 3, and made 14 of their last 20 shots. 

The Gators began the second half with back-to-back 3s from Martin and Clayton, then twice trimmed the lead to just one, the last time at 70-69 with 12 minutes to go. The Cats, though, had another big answer, this time with a 10-0 run to go back up 11. The closet the Gators got from there was two, at 89-87, with just over four minutes to go, but out of the under-four media timeout — and with just three seconds on the shot clock — UF lost in-bounder passer Butler and gave up a killer 3 that took the lead back to two possessions. 

What it Means

The Gators’ unbeaten run is over four wins shy of matching the program’s all-time best 17-0 start of 2005-06. And while there is no shame in losing at Rupp — UF is now 12-63 all-time here — the national skeptics (and they’re out there) who pointed to UF’s light non-league schedule (and lack of a signature win, with just one Quadrant 1 victory) will use this loss to bolster their assertion. Florida, though, will have plenty more Q1 opportunities to find out how good this team is, with the next one in just three days. The Gators better focus on that loose defense in the coming days and weeks, given the firepower in this great league. 

In the Spotlight

Brea made a couple shots that were simply unguardable. He had a tip-your-hat game. 

Staggering Statistic

The Gators had six turnovers in the first half, but the Cats made them pay dearly for each one, especially during their big run, finishing 15-0 in the points-off-turnovers category for the period. The final margin was 20-4. 

Up Next

It only gets harder for Florida (13-1), which gets a house call Tuesday night from No. 1 Tennessee (13-0, 0-0) in the home SEC opener. The Volunteers, armed with arguably the best defense in the country, began the day (like the Gators) as one of the nation’s three unbeaten teams and are at home Saturday afternoon against No. 23 Arkansas.   

Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu