Kentucky basketball found itself in a familiar position, down by double digits at halftime. The Gators raced out to a 17-point lead before playing a conservative 2nd half that allowed Kentucky to really make a run at it.
The Cats had it down to 5, Rupp was rocking, and Florida stepped out of bounds. But the refs missed it.
MISSED CALL!!: These #SEC officials just sold #Kentucky out of a win.#Florida clearly steps out of bounds and was given free throws.
— FirstDownMedia (@FirstDownMediaa) March 7, 2026
A 5 pt game stretched into 8. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/Bewx7Mzg9j
Collin Chandler made a heck of a defensive play to force a tough catch. You could clearly see the color of Urban Klavzar's shoe on the line, but for whatever reason, the referee missed it. But I'll be honest, Kentucky basketball didn't deserve that call.
Kentucky basketball's effort refuses to show up until its too late
Rupp Arena was maybe the best it had been all year. The fans got armbands, they were in their seats really early thanks to the Senior Day festivities. BBN was loud and ready to explode at the first sign Kentucky was going to be in the game.
That sign didn't come until 12 minutes after the opening tip.
Florida started with an 11-0 run in the first 2+ minutes. The party that was going on in Rupp would go silent. But like so many times, the Cats fought back to within 1.
Then another massive Florida run effectively ended the game.
Texas A&M part 2
Tuesday night down in Texas, the Cats saw The Aggies use a 36-6 run to turn a 12-point deficit into a dominant lead. Florida was up 20-19, and then just like that, it was 35-20. A 15-1 run in Rupp Arena on Senior Day from the visiting team.
That can not happen at Kentucky, I don't care about any excuse you can name including the injuries. That kind of run happening again is pure effort, not talent.
So, yeah, Mark Pope was mad. He should have been, but with the way this team played today, they didn't deserve to win. You can't have this kind of showing at home on a day when you could have secured a top 4 seed in the SEC Tournament.
Mark Pope often talks about 'not giving away your power' to officials. By falling behind 11-0 and 49-32, Kentucky gave its power away long before the refs missed a call in the final minute.
Now, the Cats play on Wednesday and will match up with Florida again if they win. But that won't happen until Friday.