Madison Kirby, ESPN Radio

It was billed as the game of the year in the Southeastern Conference, but it proved that Kentucky head coach John Calipari has the 'Cats fine tuned and the excitement is spilling over in Big Blue Country.

‘Cats Run Wild Over Gators

Florida started off the game with a 6-0 run, but it proved to be only Kentucky’s beginning-of-the-game jitters.  Florida left the game all dried up and Kentucky head coach, John Calipari, continued his home game winning streak at 48. The Gators, who were playing their third game in just six days, lost by a 20-point blow out, 78-58. Was Florida that bad? Was Kentucky just that good? Well, the answer is a little bit of both.

My Point: 3 Point Shots

Florida came into the game as the number one team in the country in three-point field goals per game, while Kentucky came in with an explosive defense limiting opponents to a field goal percentage of just 35.8%. However, the Wildcats have struggled to defend the three-point shot.

Those lines got very blurry in Rupp Arena.

The Gators made only 6 of 27 from beyond the arc, ending with a percentage of 22.2% for three-point field goals. Kentucky, who ranked 225^th in the country in three point shooting responded with their first game all season shooting better than 50%. The ‘Cats hit 60% of their shots from three-point range. It seemed Kentucky couldn’t miss and Florida lost any offensive rhythm before the first half was even over.

Kentucky Defense

The Wildcat offense is explosive and incredible to watch, but tonight the Kentucky defense also put on a stellar performance. The ‘Cats prevented Florida from their 17^th game this season connecting on 10 three-points shots or more. Kentucky had six huge blocks and dominated Florida by not allowing them to pass to their teammates. Florida ranked 16^th in the country in assists averaging 16.3 per game, but were held to only nine.

The Guards

Kentucky shooting guard Doron Lamb scored the most points for the Wildcats completing six field goals and four three’s. He was the first player to put points on the board for Kentucky, and also ended the first half with two key three-point shots in the final 49 seconds of play. Kenny Boynton played for 29 minutes also knocking down six field goals and four three’s. Boynton proved to be the only Florida player who could counter with Kentucky’s high-powered offensive energy.

The Wildcats are On Fire

Though the Gators have claimed the spot for second best in the SEC, it seems there is a great distance between the 7^th ranked Gators and the top-ranked Wildcats. Florida (19-5, 7-2) was outmatched on both sides of the ball. Kentucky (24-1, 10-0) has suffered only a one-point loss to Indiana, 73-72. Kentucky is the clear front-runner to win it all.

Fortunately the Gators will now be able to rest for four days before facing off against Tennessee at 4:00 pm this coming Saturday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Though Tennessee is unranked, the game should not be taken lightly as the last time they played the Volunteers only a month ago, the Gators lost by 10 points.  Florida’s last hope to defend their SEC championship title from last year will be for a little help. Can Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, or Mississippi State knock Kentucky off its pedestal and help Florida regain control of their goal? Regardless of what happens in the next month the Gators will be looking forward to March 4^th when they face the Wildcats again, where they will hope to drown them in The Swamp.

Madison Kirby is a Telecommunications and Marketing major at the University of Florida. She covers Florida Basketball and Football for ESPN Radio (Gainesville/Ocala). You can follow her on Twitter @madisonESPNUF.