Florida is heading into its showdown with No. 1 Kentucky with some positive momentum.
The Gators (19-4, 7-1 SEC) won their seventh straight game with a 73-65 win over Vanderbilt at the O'Connell Center. Next, the Gators get Kentucky at Rupp Arena, where the Wildcats have won 48 straight.
"We feel really confident," Florida freshman guard Bradley Beal said. "We have the swag where we're going to compete hard and try to get the win. We're not going in there with any doubts just because they are Kentucky. We're going to go in and play hard and play our style of basketball."
Against Vanderbilt, Florida overcame first-half foul trouble to lead 37-34. Beal, Patric Young and Erik Murphy all picked up two first-half fouls.
The Gators trailed 43-40 before fighting back to tie the score at 49. Florida then took control of the game with a 9-0 run.
"We were teetering in the second half and I had to encourage those guys to keep battling," Florida coach Billy Donovan said.
Florida senior point guard Erving Walker came up with a big play in crunch time without taking a shot. Walker drove the baseline and dished to Kenny Boynton, who knocked down a wide-open 3-pointer with 1:01 left that extended UF's lead to 69-62. From there, Florida made four straight free throws to close out the game.
"There was no panic," Walker said. "We stayed calm."
NOTES, QUOTES
-Florida has been up-and-down from the free-throw line this season, but the Gators showed better focus at the line in a key game against Vanderbilt. Florida made 16-of-17 free throws, including all 14 in the second half. The Gators came into the Vanderbilt game 10th in the SEC in free-throw shooting at 67.5 percent. "I do think with some of these players, when they are fouled, they are living in something that happened in the past and their mind wanders," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "You can't help but be really focused coming down the stretch like that. I do think we're capable. We just have to do it all of the time."
-With the win over Vanderbilt at the O'Connell Center, Florida improved its home winning streak to 19 games. The Gators are 13-0 at home this season.
-Florida's bench played an important role in its 73-65 win over Vanderbilt. UF's bench outscored Vanderbilt's bench 18-2. Junior guard Mike Rosario scored all 10 of his points in the first half, while sophomore forward Will Yeguete added five points, eight rebounds and three steals. Yeguete continues to be effective forcing turnovers in the front of UF's press. "He was a difference-maker in the press for us," Florida coach Billy Donovan said.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES:
at Kentucky, Feb. 7
KEY MATCHUPS: The Gators need to get Patric Young back in the flow after two subpar performances. The 247-pound Young faces a huge challenge against Kentucky freshman C Anthony Davis, who leads both the SEC and the nation in blocked shots at 4.7 per game. Another big matchup is on the perimeter, where 6-foot-3 Bradley Beal gives up seven inches to 6-7 Kentucky freshman F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Beal has held his own guarding bigger players all season.
vs. Tennessee, Feb. 11
KEY MATCHUPS: Again the focus will be up front, where the 247-pound Young will have his hands full with 265-pound Tennessee C Jeronne Maymon. At point guard, Florida senior Erving Walker and Tennessee sophomore Trae Golden are two of the best assist-men in the SEC. Walker leads the SEC in assists at 5.1 per game while Golden is tied with Mississippi State's Dee Bost for second with 4.6 assists per game.
FUTURES MARKET
Freshman G Bradley Beal is continuing to play at a high level for the Gators. The 6-foot-3 Beal posted his fourth career double-double against South Carolina (17 points, 11 rebounds) and followed it up with a 16-point, seven-rebound effort against Vanderbilt. Beal scored 12 of his 16 points against Vanderbilt in the final 12 minutes of the game.
PLAYER NOTES
-Sophomore C Patric Young returned to the starting lineup because Florida coach Billy Donovan said he felt like he needed a "jump start" after struggling off the bench against South Carolina. But Young got into early foul trouble and never got into the flow of the game. Young picked up two quick fouls in the first half and finished with just two points and four rebounds in 14 minutes.
-Senior PG Erving Walker dished five assists against Vanderbilt to move past Eddie Shannon into second place all-time on the UF assist list. With 495 assists, Walker is just eight shy of the school record set by Ronnie Montgomery (503 assists, 1985-88).
-Freshman F Walter Pitchford will miss two weeks of practice after suffering a wrist injury in a scooter accident on campus. Pitchford hasn't appeared in a game since Jan. 10 vs. Georgia.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Those guys were really huge and really physical. In the first couple of minutes in the first half, I ran into (Vanderbilt center) Festus (Ezeli) and almost fell." -- Florida freshman G Bradley Beal, on facing Vanderbilt 255-pound center Festus Ezeli for the first time.
