Too many turnovers cost the Kentucky basketball team against Florida

The Kentucky basketball team committed turnovers against the Gators. The Wildcats dropped their second consecutive game with a loss versus Florida.

The Kentucky basketball team committed 16 turnovers, 9 in the second half. The Wildcats fell to the unranked Gators at home 66-64. The loss was the second straight defeat for Kentucky who fell to 14-5 on the season and 4-3 in conference play.

First Half

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got another start, but Quade Green got back on the court after a 3 game hiatus. Both teams started out hot. Keith Stone knocked down two early three-pointers for Florida and UK’s Kevin Knox started 2-of-3 from the field. Wenyen Gabriel tied the game at 10 after converting a hook shot on the block. Gabriel was fouled on the play and gave the Cats their first lead 11-10.

Jarred Vanderbilt and Quade Green both came off the bench for the Kentucky basketball team. Vanderbilt scored his first bucket with a putback slam after a missed layup by Gilgeous-Alexander. The first half had a back-and-forth, up-and-down feel. By the under-8 minute timeout, only 1 point separated the Cats and Gators. However, Sacha Killeya-Jones converted a difficult lob from Green and boosted Kentucky’s lead to 8 points.

The Gators then went on a 7-0 run cutting Kentucky’s lead to 1 point, after the Cats turned the ball over on 4 consecutive possessions.The Gators grabbed the lead late and headed into halftime up 33-31 on the Cats at the break.

Second Half

Florida started the second half on a 10-2 run and led the Wildcats 45-37 at the first TV timeout. The Kentucky basketball team rallied behind a dominant post performance. They closed the gap to 2 points near the midway point of second half.

Florida guard, Chris Chiozza, exited the game with less than 10 minutes left due to cramping. Hamidou Diallo knocked down a corner-three and Kentucky closed the gap to 1. Nick Richards hit 1-of-2 from the free throw line and tied the game at 51.

Gilgeous-Alexander took errant Florida pass to the basket and gave the Kentucky basketball team a 53-51 lead. After a quick basket by the Gators, SGA hit a three-point bomb, giving the Cats a 56-53 lead with 5:11 left.

Knox and Gabriel each knocked down a three-point shot late and gave UK a chance. A blatant foul late on PJ Washington was not called and the Cats’ effort came up just short in the end.