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The No. 6 Florida men’s basketball team’s unbeaten start came to an end Saturday in Lexington, Ky., at the hands of No. 10 Kentucky, 106-100.
Final
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— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) January 4, 2025
Florida (13-1, 0-1 SEC) had held its previous four opponents to 20% shooting on 3-pointers, giving up about five 3s per game. Kentucky (12-2, 1-0) shot 48% and made 14 3s against UF.
In addition to its poor play defensively, Florida saw its turnovers result in 20 points for Kentucky, while only making four off Wildcat turnovers.
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).
UF guard Walter Clayton Jr. finished with a game-high 33 points, which matched his career high. Teammate Alijah Martin scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half to rally Florida after Kentucky took a 52-42 halftime lead.
Koby Brea, a fifth-year senior guard transfer from Dayton, scored 23 points and hit seven 3-pointers off the bench to lead Kentucky.
Up Next
Florida hosts No. 1 Tennessee (14-0, 1-0) at 7 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN2, 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF). The Vols opened SEC play by beating No. 23 Arkansas, 76-52, in Knoxville on Saturday.
