No. 1 Kentucky escapes with a win against Florida, 68-61
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – History suggested this would be a struggle and, despite Florida's 10 losses to top-ranked Kentucky's zero coming into Saturday night's game at the electric O'Connell Center, it was for the Wildcats.
For the first time all season, UK's freshman guards looked rattled by the atmosphere – and the Gators' defense. The Cats fell behind quickly, scratched back in front after halftime and clung to a two-point lead in the final two minutes.
They had to earn their 23rd victory in as many tries, escaping with a 68-61 victory to tie 1966 Kentucky for the second-best start in school history. They needed 18 second-half points from sophomore Aaron Harrison and to sink 21 of 22 free throws to remain college basketball's only undefeated team.
Didn't matter that Florida (12-11, 5-5 Southeastern Conference) suffered serious personnel losses after running the table in the league last season – including a three-game sweep of Kentucky (23-0, 10-0). The "O Dome" has been a house of horrors for the Wildcats and nearly was again.
They fell behind 20-11 in the first 10 minutes, coughing up six turnovers with their guards shooting just 2 of 8 in that span. But then Kentucky climbed aboard freshman Karl-Anthony Towns' broad shoulders and road him back into the ballgame.
Towns had 11 points, three rebounds, two blocks and assist in the first half, powering his way to a three-point play, swishing a baseline jump shot, burying 5 of 5 free throws and establishing himself as a defensive presence in the paint. He sparked an 8-0 UK run to tie the game at 28 with 1:30 to go in the first half.
The Wildcats trailed 30-28 at the break, but that was an impressive feat considering they'd hit just 1 of 9 3-pointers and turned it over 10 times to that point. Both teams shot 44 percent in the first half, but Florida made three from beyond the arc, two by Michael Frazier II, who scored 10 points before intermission.
Towns went right back to work after the break, scoring over a defender in the post and draining a jumper from above the free throw line in succession to give Kentucky a 34-33 lead just two and a half minutes into the second half. Towns finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocks.
Harrison, who scored 23 points, sank three 3-pointers and hit all eight of his free throws, finished the job. He scored eight straight and 10 of 13 UK points at one point in the second half to give the Cats the lead for good.
* Welcome to SportsCenter, Willie Cauley-Stein. The junior 7-footer, who was trying to shake a recent slump, succeeded with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and one monster dunk. He posterized Florida's Devin Robinson to ignite the Cats in the seond half.
Cauley-Stein emphatically ended a 6-0 run and gave UK back the lead when he took a pass from Andrew Harrison on the left wing, launched from about two steps inside the free-throw line and hammered over Robinson, who fouled him. The three-point play pushed the Cats in front 45-44 with 12:09 to go.
* Andrew Harrison follows big night with a small one. With 14:53 to go, Harrison had three fouls and one turnover to go with no points and no assists. He hadn't attempted a shot. Kentucky led by one. This on the heels of two big games in his last three, including a season-high 23 points against Georgia on Tuesday night.
Harrison was called for a charge with UK up 61-59 and 1:53 to go, but fortunately for the Cats, Jon Horford bricked a pair of free throws. Speaking of which, UK hit its first 16 at the line before Harrison finally missed one. He finished with just one point, two assists and three turnovers.
* Trey Lyles out again. As expected, the freshman forward stayed back in Lexington and missed his third consecutive game with a mystery illness. Sophomore guard Dominique Hawkins made his fourth consecutive start – he got the not one game before Lyles got sick – and his eighth of the season.
Kyle Tucker writes for The Courier-Journal, a Gannett paper