History was made on Saturday as the No. 1 Florida Gators (29-2, 18-0 SEC) became the first team ever to go 18-0 in Southeastern Conference play, routing the No. 25 Kentucky Wildcats (22-9, 12-6 SEC) on Senior Day at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL.

Florida topped Kentucky 84-65, leading by as many as 22 points in the first half and winning by 19 despite allowing a 15-0 run in the latter period.

The 19-point victory was UF’s largest margin in its all-time series against UK. The Gators are now undefeated at home (32-0) over the last two seasons, have won 23-straight games and 17-in-a-row at home over league opponents.

OnlyGators.com breaks it all down with eight quick-hitters:

It was over when: Senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin drained a monster three-pointer seemingly from Ocala, FL with less than three minutes to play, vaulting Florida ahead of Kentucky by 17 and icing the contest for the Gators. He was UF’s third-leading scorer on the afternoon, posting 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting (2-of-2 from downtown) with four assists and three boards.

Prominent player: Senior center Patric Young went scoreless for the first 14 minutes of the second half, but his 14 first-half points and 18 total points were both highs for the Gators on Saturday. The 18 points were also a season-high for Young, who hit 8-of-13 shots and finished with a team-high seven boards.

Significant stretch: With UF dominating UK, the Wildcats finally responded by scoring on eight-straight possessions early in the second half. Kentucky went on a 15-0 run to cut their deficit to six points as Florida went scoreless for 5:36, making Saturday’s contest a game when it looked to be a blowout.

Check out the second half of The Fastbreak…after the break.



First half focus: The Gators responded to a Wildcats 7-0 run with a 19-4 scoring stretch – including six points from Young and three triples by sophomore guard Michael Frazier II – to jump ahead by 19 points with about four minutes until the half. UF eventually extended its advantage to 44-22, doubling up UK as halftime approached. Frazier did not score in the second half, registering nine points, two dimes and two steals for the game.

Perfect play: Midway through the first half, freshman point guard Kasey Hill dribbled the ball inside and under the basket, drawing three defenders before slicing a bounce pass through their bodies to an open Young, who slammed it home. Hill’s eight points were both his most in a reserve role and the most he’s scored since Nov. 18, 2013.

Standout stat: UF led UK by 21 points at the break, and it’s bench made all the difference, outscoring the visitors 18-0 in the first 20 minutes. The Gators reserves only contributed four points on a jumper and two free throws in the second half but still led the Wildcats backups 24-13 for the game.

What it means: The seniors closed things out the right way, combining to score 51 of UF’s 84 points with Young, Wilbekin and senior forward Casey Prather (5-for-5, 15 points) finishing as the team’s three leading scorers. Prather added three boards, two assists and a steal, while senior F Will Yeguete matched Young with a team-high seven rebounds.

Next up: Florida will enter the 2014 SEC Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. The Gators will receive two buys, starting play in the quarterfinals and needing just three victories to capture its first tournament title since 2007.