LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Gators will need at least one more game to clinch the Southeastern Conference East crown.
No. 13 Florida (22-6, 11-3 SEC) entered Rupp Arena with a chance to secure the division title but never found a way to match up with No. 22 Kentucky (20-8, 8-6 SEC) in a 76-68 loss on Saturday.
“They wanted it more than us,” sophomore guard Kenny Boynton said. “They came out ready to play.”
The Wildcats’ athleticism, versatility and overall talent were too much for the Gators to overcome.
Those traits were exemplified by 6-foot-7 guard Darius Miller, who scored a career-high 24 points and was effective against a bevy of UF defenders.
“It was tough getting a matchup for him tonight,” Boynton said. “He had a great game.”
Miller scored in a variety of ways, shooting over small, quick defenders like Boynton or driving past bigger opponents like Alex Tyus and Patric Young.
The junior connected on 9 of 15 shots, including 2 of 4 from three-point range, and added five rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
“He’s one of the most complete players in the league,” UF coach Billy Donovan said. “He was a huge difference in the game.”
Miller and his teammates found success driving to the basket against the Gators, giving the Wildcats their 33rd straight home win.
Although Florida employed a variety of defenses and lineup combinations, UK usually found a one-on-one matchup it could exploit.
“We just really need to guard the ball better,” senior forward Chandler Parsons said. “What opens up their whole offense is the dribble-drive.”
Kentucky was effective when it spread the floor, as the team connected on 7 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc. That efficiency opened the lane even further, something the Wildcats never hesitated to take advantage of.
“They were determined to get to the hole,” Boynton said. “We wanted to keep the ball out of the middle, but those guys drove to the middle whenever they wanted.”
That success yielded a 51.7 shooting percentage for UK, a number padded by a 16-for-29 effort in the second half.
With the Gators trailing by one and about 13 minutes remaining, Kentucky hit eight of its next nine shots, including six in a row, during a 6:18 stretch to extend the lead to 10.
“They weren’t missing,” Boynton said. “It was tough getting stops.”
Boynton led the way on offense for UF, scoring 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 5 of 9 from three-point range.
Junior Erving Walker, on the other hand, had one of his worst games of the season.
The starting point guard finished with 10 points, hitting just 2 of 11 from the field and 1 of 6 from beyond the arc.
“It’s the first time I felt like he did not necessarily play to the level he was playing,” Donovan said. “He didn’t have a typical Erving Walker game.”
Florida also performed below its usual standards on the interior, as it was outrebounded 34-32 and outscored 36-26 in the paint.
While the Gators lost ground in the East, they remain tied with Alabama for the overall SEC lead after the Crimson Tide’s 68-63 loss at Ole Miss on Saturday.
