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The Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats have a historic basketball rivalry, with both teams winning multiple national and conference championships over the past century. The two teams first met in 1927, with Kentucky winning 44–36. In total, they have played 149 times, with Kentucky holding a 104–40 lead in the series. In 2024, Kentucky won seven of its last ten games against Florida in Gainesville, with Florida winning the other three. However, in their most recent meeting in January 2025, Kentucky beat Florida 106-100.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of latest match | 4th January 2025 |
| Winner of latest match | Kentucky |
| Final score of latest match | 106-100 |
| Kentucky's score in latest match | 106 |
| Florida's score in latest match | 100 |
| Kentucky's rank | #10 |
| Florida's rank | #6 |
| Kentucky's wins in the series | 104 |
| Florida's wins in the series | 40 |
| Kentucky's wins in the SEC Championship Game series | 3 |
| Florida's wins in the SEC Championship Game series | 2 |
| Kentucky's wins since 2005 | 24 |
| Florida's wins since 2005 | 17 |
| Kentucky's wins in the last three SEC Championship Game meetings | 1 |
| Florida's wins in the last three SEC Championship Game meetings | 2 |
| Florida's wins at home | 6 |
| Kentucky's wins at the O'Connell Center | 7 |
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What You'll Learn
Florida Gators beat Kentucky Wildcats 94-91 in overtime
The Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats have a historic basketball rivalry, with both teams winning multiple national and conference championships over the past century. In January 2024, the Gators emerged victorious in a thrilling overtime game, defeating the Wildcats 94-91. This game marked Florida's first win over a Top 10 opponent in 11 years and snapped a four-game losing streak against the Aggies.
The game was a back-and-forth affair, with Florida holding a slim lead at halftime, 45-37. Kentucky fought back in the second half, briefly taking the lead before Florida answered with eight straight points. The game went into overtime tied at 84-84, with Walter Clayton Jr. of Florida making a crucial three-pointer with just 3 seconds left in regulation. In overtime, Clayton Jr. continued his stellar performance, scoring two free throws with 16.4 seconds remaining to secure the victory.
Clayton Jr. finished the game with 23 points, including an impressive 7 three-pointers. Zyon Pullin added 21 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds, while Tyrese Samuel contributed a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds. For Kentucky, Reed Sheppard led the way with 24 points, followed by Rob Dillingham with 20 points, and Antonio Reeves with 19 points.
This win improved Florida's record to 15-6 overall and 5-3 in the Southeastern Conference, moving them into a tie for fifth place in the SEC standings. It also marked their fourth consecutive victory, providing valuable momentum as they headed into a challenging stretch of games. The loss dropped Kentucky to 15-5 overall and 5-3 in the SEC, setting up a highly anticipated matchup against No. 5 Tennessee.
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Kentucky's 2024 win over Florida Gators was close
The Florida Gators and Kentucky Wildcats are historic basketball rivals, with both teams winning multiple national and conference championships over the past century. The two teams are permanent SEC rivals until 2024, meaning they are scheduled to play twice a year in the SEC regular season.
On January 6, 2024, the Kentucky Wildcats narrowly beat the Florida Gators 87-85 in Gainesville. The Gators led 45-37 at halftime, but the game became a back-and-forth affair in the second half, with Kentucky briefly grabbing the lead before Florida scored eight straight points to regain control. However, Kentucky fought hard and managed to keep the game close, making key plays down the stretch and securing the win with strong free-throw shooting.
Kentucky's ability to share and protect the ball had been a strength that season, but they struggled in these areas against Florida, finishing with six assists and nine turnovers. Florida's length seemed to create problems for Kentucky, and their bench player Rob Dillingham had a particularly challenging game, struggling to make an impact.
Despite the loss, Florida controlled much of the game and had answers whenever Kentucky tried to gain momentum. Veterans Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell were crucial for Kentucky, with Reeves scoring 19 points and Mitchell taking advantage of mismatches.
The rivalry between the two teams has produced many memorable games, and while Kentucky leads the overall series, the rivalry has become more even in recent years, with Florida winning seven straight games against Kentucky at one point. The competitiveness of the rivalry was heightened by Billy Donovan's arrival in Gainesville, and the hostility between the two fan bases is well-known.
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Florida Gators won 7 straight games against Kentucky
The Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats have a historic basketball rivalry, with both teams winning multiple national and conference championships over the past century. The Gators hold the distinction of being the only team to have defeated the Wildcats seven straight times.
The two teams first met in 1927, with Kentucky winning 44-36. In the 1994 meeting, the Gators dominated the Wildcats 73-7, which was Kentucky's worst defeat in 91 years. The Gators went on to have a strong season, going 10-2-1, with their only losses coming against Florida State in the Sugar Bowl and to the eventual national champion, Nebraska, in the Fiesta Bowl.
In recent years, the rivalry has become more even, with Kentucky holding a 24-17 series lead since 2005. In their February 2023 men's basketball meeting, an incident occurred where a University of Kentucky usher showed his middle finger to several Florida Gators fans, resulting in his termination.
The Kentucky-Florida rivalry extends beyond basketball to other sports, including football. In October 2024, the Florida Gators snapped a three-game losing streak against the Kentucky Wildcats with a dominant 48-20 victory. The Gators' victory was propelled by freshman running back Jadan Baugh, who rushed for five touchdowns, and Cormani McClain, who added a pick-six.
The intense rivalry between the Florida Gators and Kentucky Wildcats has resulted in memorable games and a competitive dynamic in both basketball and football.
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Kentucky leads the series 111-42
The Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats have a historic basketball rivalry, with both teams winning multiple national and conference championships over the past century. The two teams first met in 1927, with Kentucky winning 44-36. Since then, they have played 149 times, with Kentucky leading the series 111-42.
Despite Kentucky's dominance in the series, the rivalry has produced many memorable games, including several match-ups in the SEC Tournament Championship Game. Florida is the only team to have defeated Kentucky seven times in a row. In 1994, the Gators dominated the Wildcats 73-7, which was Kentucky's worst defeat in 91 years. In their February 2023 meeting, an usher at Rupp Arena was fired by the University of Kentucky after giving the middle finger to several Florida fans.
In recent years, the rivalry has become more even, with Kentucky holding a 24-17 series lead since 2005. Florida has won two of the last three SEC Championship Game meetings. In 2024, Florida upset No. 8 Kentucky in overtime at Rupp Arena, winning 94-91. This was only Florida's sixth win in their last 26 trips to Rupp Arena. In the previous meeting that season, Kentucky won 87-85, despite Florida leading for most of the game.
The rivalry extends beyond the basketball court, with the two teams' fan bases known for their hostility towards each other. In 2017, several Kentucky football fans displayed a sign making fun of Hurricane Irma, causing backlash.
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Florida-Kentucky rivalry escalated in football
The Florida-Kentucky rivalry in football has escalated in recent years, with Kentucky breaking a 31-year streak of consecutive losses to the Florida Gators. Despite historically lopsided results in favour of Florida, Kentucky has won four of the last six games between the two teams, levelling the playing field and intensifying the rivalry.
The first-ever meeting between the two football teams in 1927 resulted in a Kentucky victory, setting the tone for a long history of competition. The Florida Gators achieved their first-ever football win over Kentucky in the third meeting between the teams, with a score of 27-6. This rivalry has produced several memorable games, including a 66-point rout in 1994, where the Gators dominated the Wildcats 73-7, marking Kentucky's worst defeat in 91 years.
The Florida-Kentucky rivalry extends beyond the football field, with intense competition in men's and women's basketball. In March 2023, a fight broke out between the two women's basketball teams, resulting in eight ejections. The rivalry has also led to hostile interactions between fans. In 2017, Kentucky football fans displayed a sign mocking Hurricane Irma, receiving significant backlash. The rivalry between the two universities has resulted in a Kentucky-licensed merchandise campaign with slogans such as "Gator Hater" and "Later Gator".
The Florida-Kentucky rivalry in football has intensified as Kentucky has started to close the gap in head-to-head results, making the competition between the two teams more evenly matched and increasing the stakes of each game. The rivalry has produced memorable moments, controversial interactions, and passionate fan engagement, contributing to the escalation of the Florida-Kentucky rivalry in football.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Florida beat Kentucky 94-91 in overtime in January 2024.
Yes, Florida has beaten Kentucky in basketball several times. The two teams are permanent SEC rivals, and Florida is the only team to have defeated Kentucky seven straight times.
The rivalry is intense, with both teams winning multiple national and conference championships over the past 100 years. The two teams first met in 1927, with Kentucky winning 44-36. In 1994, Florida dominated Kentucky 73-7, which was the Wildcats' worst defeat in 91 years. In recent years, Kentucky broke a 31-year streak of consecutive losses to Florida in football, and the rivalry has become more even in basketball as well.
One memorable moment was in 2014 when Florida defeated Kentucky 61-60 in the SEC Tournament Championship Game. Another was in 2023 when a fight broke out between the women's basketball teams, resulting in 8 ejections.
