March 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden reacts to a referee’s call during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Central Bank Center’s Ruff Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Image NASHVILLE — Kentucky is looking for its third win in three days, while a rested and well-tested Florida awaits Friday in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament.
The Wildcats (21-12) blew a 16-point second-half lead in a 78-72 win over Missouri on Thursday. Otega Oweh’s 21 points and big plays on both ends of the floor were instrumental in eighth-seeded Kentucky’s win.
It gave the ‘Cats, who had lost their last two regular season games, the push they needed. The last was an 84-77 loss at home to SEC regular season champion and top tournament seed Florida on March 7. This was Kentucky’s fifth loss in seven games.
Oweh (18.4 ppg) and Denzel Aberdeen (13.1) have performed consistently well for the Wildcats this season. Kentucky struggles especially when Colin Chandler (10.1), who had 15 points in Thursday’s win, gets hot.
Depth is key to running a deep tournament. The Wildcats had some unexpected contributions. Brandon Garrison scored 17 points against LSU in the tournament opener, marking his first double-digit scoring game in nine contests.
Kam Williams, who has missed the final 12 games of the tournament due to injury, gave the ‘Cats a boost in 30 minutes off the bench in Nashville.
Kentucky’s Mo Dioubate didn’t hesitate when asked what his team needed to do to pull off the upset on Friday.
“We need to be a more physical team tomorrow,” he said. “We must demonstrate our will early on and be the ones to win the rebound.”
The Gators raced through the league like a cog, winning 16 of their last 17 games (14 of them) by double digits to clinch the regular season title.
Two of those wins came in Kentucky.
Finding Florida’s weaknesses isn’t easy. The Gators are not great 3-point shooters (31.3%), and foul shooting (70.8%) is certainly not their strength in tight games.
The Gators are so dominant in so many other areas, including second in the nation in offensive rebounds (15.94 per game) and fourth in defensive rebounds (29.58), that these weaknesses barely matter.
Three people who make Florida particularly strong are SEC Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu (11.4 ppg, 11.7 rpg), versatile Thomas Haugh (17.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg), a first-team All-SEC player who can score from all over the floor, and third-team All-SEC pick Alex Condon (14.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg).
Guards Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland average 11.6 points per game. Fland plays one of the guard positions. Top 3-point shooter Urban Klavzar (40.6%) was named the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year.
The Gators might be better if Haugh gets healthier. He missed the March 3 game against Mississippi State with a foot/ankle injury. He played 37 minutes and scored 20 points in the last game against Kentucky, but said the time off in Nashville helped.
“I hurt this (right) leg in Texas in the calf area. It felt like a bad sprain,” Haugh said. “And in the Arkansas game, I literally couldn’t walk the first leg because I put so much pressure on my left leg to compensate for my right leg and pinched two nerves under my foot. I’m a lot better now.”
–Chris Lee (Field Level Media)
