Kentucky made a statement in a rematch with Florida Saturday and avenged an earlier-season blowout loss to the Gators in impressive fashion with a 76-66 victory Saturday at Rupp Arena.
The 11th-ranked Wildcats (24-5, 14-2 Southeastern Conference) proved they can beat a ranked opponent at home and are still the team to beat in the SEC. Kentucky took a one-game lead over the Gators with two league encounters remaining.
Although the SEC title is well within reach, the Wildcats won’t know their postseason fate until the regular season comes to a close next week. Kentucky can earn at least a split of the crown with a victory over Vanderbilt in their final home game of the season Tuesday night.
Although not a clincher, the double-digit win over No. 13 Florida, which ended the Gators’ nine-game winning streak, moved Kentucky closer to clinching a top seed for the upcoming conference tournament.
BOXSCORE: Kentucky 76, Florida 66
Unlike the 88-66 lopsided loss in Gainesville three weeks ago, Kentucky looked like a different team the second time around on both ends of the court.
“I like the fact that we fought,” Calipari said. “We defended. You know what? We guarded pretty good (in the) pick and roll. We guarded, because we fought over every pick and roll and then we switched a couple times and we went back to fighting over. “
The Gators (23-6, 13-3) won the rebounding battle by 25 in the first game between the two league rivals, but Kentucky returned the favor and finished with a 48-30 edge in the rebounding department.
Freshman forward Bam Adebayo was largely responsible for the rebounding differential between the two teams and posted his second-straight double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds. He had 22 points and 15 boards in a win at Missouri earlier this week in Columbia.
As evidenced by the past two games, Adebayo is starting to peak at the right time.
“My confidence just keeps building,” he said. “My teammates believe in me and I believe in them. We keep winning, so you know, I’m having fun.”
Kentucky was without starting point guard De’Aaron Fox, who sat out because of a knee contusion, but teammate Malik Monk picked up the slack and became the first Kentucky player to score at least 30 points in four games in a single season. Monk scored 33 points, including 30 in the second half as the Wildcats overcame a sluggish start with a impressive finish down the stretch.
“I like how we played when you’re one man down,” Calipari said.
Instead of playing timid as he did in the opening half, Monk got into the flow of the game and it paid off for the sharp-shooting guard.
“I was was more patient in the second half than I was in the first half,” Monk said. “I was getting to the lane.”
Despite not having Fox in the lineup, the Wildcats made the proper adjustments, especially in the second half. In the first half, the Gators scored the first eight points and led by 12 at 18-6 six minutes into the contest.
Led by Monk, the Wildcats dominated in the second half by not only making shots, but matching and ultimately surpassing Florida’s intensity level.
“The biggest thing this team did is they fought in the second half,” Calipari said. “Think about it. We shot 28 percent at halftime. 28 percent. We must have missed nine layups. And we’re in a tie game. That means you’re fighting, that means you’re giving yourself a chance to win.
Calipari wasn’t aware of Monk’s 30-point output in the second half, but gave his freshman guard a hug and kudos following his memorable performance.
“That’s how you play basketball,” Calipari told Monk.
Going into the next seven days Calipari hopes his team can follow Monk’s lead and build on their overall second-half performance against the Gators.
“It is about getting us right for this late season run,” he said. “And you all know, the second half we showed, wow, if they play that way, they’re going to be fine. Now can we play, can that be us? Or are we not locked into each other. Or are we not this team. If we’re this team, I like what I’m seeing.”
Gametracker: Vanderbilt at Kentucky, 9 p.m., Tuesday. TV/Radio: ESPN, 98.1 FM WBUL.
Keith Taylor is a senior sports writer for KyForward, where he primarily covers University of Kentucky sports. Reach him at keith.taylor@kyforward.com or @keithtaylor21 on Twitter