The Kentucky Wildcats moved into sole possession of first place in the SEC with a 76-66 victory over Florida at Rupp Arena.
Malik Monk put on a show in the second half to help the Wildcats gain their revenge after losing in Gainesville by 22 points to open February.
Monk finished with 33 points on the day, and fellow freshman phenom Bam Adebayo added a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds.
Kentucky controlled the boards in the game and finished with a 48-30 advantage in rebounding.
Florida opened up a 52-44 lead on a KeVaughn Allen layup with 12:42 left in the second half, but the Wildcats scored nine straight and never looked back.
Allen led the Gators with 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the floor.
Blake’s Analysis:
This was an impressive victory for the Wildcats for several reasons.
Obviously, the first that comes to mind is that they did it with De’Aaron Fox being on the sidelines. Fox is the guy that makes Kentucky go, so this team getting a major win against a Top 25 team without him is certainly a nice step in the right direction.
The second is that big time players made big time plays when John Calipari’s team needed it most.
Malik Monk was simply outstanding in the second half, and Bam Adebayo helped Kentucky control the paint and gain the large advantage on the boards. Everyone knows how dangerous the Fox/Monk/Adebayo trio is when they are all at their best, but getting a win like this with only Monk and Adebayo playing is good news for the Wildcats.
As for the Gators, there’s no shame in having your nine-game winning streak snapped at the hands of this Kentucky team. Florida really missed John Egbunu in this game, and we all wondered when his absence in the paint would catch up with this team. It didn’t against Mississippi State or South Carolina, but it was clear here.
I still think Florida will be fine going forward, but other players will have to step up and be physical on the boards if this team is gonna make a deep run in March.
Meanwhile, Kentucky has seemed to finally find its way at the right time.
If Fox returns soon and Monk and Adebayo continue to dominate, the Wildcats could once again be a Final Four contender.