LEXINGTON, Ky. — Down by two points with 5:23 remaining, the Gators had a chance to play their way into the NCAA Tournament.
But for the second game in a row, Florida (20-11, 9-7 Southeastern Conference) collapsed down the stretch, and it fell 74-66 to No. 3 Kentucky (29-2, 14-2 SEC) in Rupp Arena.
UF hit just 2 of 10 from the field, shot 0 of 5 from beyond the arc, made 2 of 5 from the free-throw line and committed four turnovers after Erik Murphy’s dunk cut UK’s lead to two.
The Gators ended their 64-60 loss to Vanderbilt on Tuesday in similar fashion, hitting no field goals in the last 9:53 of the game.
Their three-game losing streak to end the regular season puts a lot of pressure on them to win at least one or two games in the SEC Tournament if they hope to make the NCAA Tournament.
“It happened this game. It happened last game,” junior forward Chandler Parsons said. “I don’t think it’s a pattern. I don’t think it’s something to worry about. I just think it’s us not executing, us making not-so-smart plays.
“We’re really close to being a great team. If we just clean up the stuff we can control, we’ll be one of the best teams out there.”
Parsons and UF coach Billy Donovan said the team’s execution was fine in crunch time despite the lack of production. Both credited Kentucky’s defense for shutting the Gators down in the final minutes.
“I thought Kentucky’s kids did a good job of turning up the pressure and really got after us,” Donovan said. “There was probably some fouls that should have been called both ways, but the game got very physical as the game got closer.”
The Wildcats didn’t have any one player explode like guard Eric Bledsoe did in their 89-77 win over the Gators in Gainesville on Jan. 12, but they had five players in double digits to UF’s two.
Bledsoe and forward Darius Miller each had 14 points, forward Patrick Patterson scored 13, freshman guard John Wall added 10 and Darnell Dodson came off the bench to score 10.
Only junior power forward Alex Tyus (12 points) and freshman guard Kenny Boynton (11) scored in double figures for the Gators, but they did get some much-needed help off the bench from guard Ray Shipman and forward Erik Murphy, who combined for 20 points in 26 minutes.
“They came in and did a great job,” Parsons said. “Ship — not even that he scored points, but his athleticism, his activeness — he really just gave us great minutes. And Murphy stepped up, taking charges and doing all the things we need him to do.”
The Gators overcame an 18-point first-half deficit, chipping away at the lead and bringing it to two points. While a win might have cemented their spot in the NCAA Tournament, they will remain in contention by avoiding a blowout on the road.
“There’s definitely no moral victory, but if they’re No. 3 in the country and we hung with them on their home court, it just shows we can play with anyone,” Parsons said.
Kentucky coach John Calipari was impressed with UF’s performance, and he said the Gators played the Wildcats closer than anyone else did all year in Rupp Arena, where UK went undefeated.
“They’re a Tournament team,” Calipari said. “They’ve got to win in our league tournament at least one. They win two, it’s a lock they’re in.
“I’m rooting for them. They play and they never quit.”
The Gators will start the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn., against Auburn on Thursday as the SEC East’s No. 4 seed. With a win over the Tigers, they would go on to face Mississippi State in the second round.
UF beat both teams in the regular season, taking down Auburn 78-70 on Feb. 18 and beating MSU 69-62 on Feb. 6.
“We’ve just got to really put this game behind us, put this whole season behind us because we’ve got a brand new start Thursday,” Parsons said.
