A slow start once again doomed Florida basketball, as the Kentucky Wildcats turned up the pressure for the entire 40 minutes and came away with a 72-67 win inside of Rupp Arena on Saturday night. [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] had a game-high 25 points to lead all scorers, but his teammates’ inability to make clean passes and get back on transition defense made it all go to waste in the losing effort.
The Gators entered the game ranked No. 41 in the NET rankings and fell just two spots after the Quadrant 1 road loss to No. 43. Florida now holds a 2-8 record in Quad 1 games along with a 1-2 mark in Quad 2, 6-0 in Quad 3 and 4-0 in Quad 4. Kentucky stands pat at No. 31 following its Quad 1 win.
Next up for the Orange and Blue is another tough opponent in the fifth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, who will host Florida on Wednesday, Feb. 8, inside Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Tide are currently ranked No. 3 in the NET. Tipoff for the midweek affair is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST and the game can be followed by watching ESPN2 or listening to the Gator Sports Network.
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