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No. 10 Kentucky hands No. 6 Florida first loss of season
Kentucky Wildcats guard Koby Brea. Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

No. 10 Kentucky hands No. 6 Florida first loss of season behind offensive clinic

No. 10 Kentucky put an end to sixth-ranked Florida's undefeated start to the season with a thrilling 106-100 win in the SEC opener for both teams on Saturday.

It was a high-octane battle from start to finish. The Wildcats went 37-for-64 (57.8%) shooting and made 14 of their 29 three-point attempts. 

Senior guard Koby Brea had a team-high 23 points off the bench. Brea made seven threes in the game, including this long-range shot that extended Kentucky's lead to 83-74 with under eight minutes to play:

The 23 points were a career-high for Brea. Coming into the game, he was shooting 49.4% from behind the arc, so his hot shooting performance on Saturday should come as no surprise.

This clutch three from senior forward Andrew Carr, one of two for him in a 14-point effort, gave Kentucky a comfortable 99-91 lead with under 1:30 remaining:

The game featured several runs from Kentucky. Down 26-15 at the 11:13 mark in the first half, Kentucky scored 16 unanswered to take a 31-26 lead. The Wildcats followed that up with a 10-0 run just before the half. After Florida cut the deficit to 70-69, Kentucky went on another 10-0 run to take an 80-69 lead with 9:23 left.

Florida was efficient from the floor as well. The Gators shot 55% overall and made 12 of their 34 long range shots. Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. tied his previous career-high with 33 points (9-for-15 FG). 

The road does not get any easier for Florida (13-1, 0-1 SEC) with a showdown against No. 1 Tennessee on Tuesday. Kentucky (12-2, 1-0 SEC) hits the road to take on Georgia on Tuesday. 

According to TeamRankings as of midday Saturday, the Wildcats have the third-best offense (89 PPG) in the nation and commit the seventh-fewest turnovers per game (9.4). If Kentucky keeps scoring at that rate and taking care of the ball, the Wildcats are going to continue to be a problem for opposing teams the rest of the way.

Colby Colwell

Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family

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