UF had a chance to rebound from its past two blowout losses, but instead of seizing the opportunity, it fumbled it away.
Instead, it was No. 16 Kentucky (22-4, 10-3 Southeastern Conference) that played resiliently in the second half to claim a 77-51 win over the struggling Gators, who have dropped three straight.
“In the last couple of games, we have yet to see 40 minutes of Florida basketball,” senior Susan Yenser said. “It’s so frustrating because we can’t pinpoint one thing. It’s more of a mindset than it is Xs and Os.”
The Wildcats used back-to-back three-pointers from Keyla Snowden to start a 25-2 run and nab their 10th conference win. The loss dropped coach Amanda Butler’s squad below .500 in the SEC for the first time this season.
In a worst-case, déjà-vu scenario, UF (13-13, 6-7 SEC) fizzled out in the second half after playing a tightly contested first half. This time, the Gators had a four-point lead at intermission.
It was the latter 20 minutes, when the Gators were outscored 48-18, that did UF in. Florida turned the ball over 14 times — as many turnovers as Kentucky had all game — and made six field goals after the break.
“If I could vote not to have halftime, I would definitely vote not to have it,” guard Trumae Lucas said.
UF finished with 23 turnovers and 12 of them were UK steals. Kentucky scored 32 points off Gators miscues.
The Gators didn’t let the opening minutes — where they were outrebounded 11-2 and took 11 fewer shots — deter them. Five players scored in the first half and the team shot 50 percent from the field.
Lucas came off the bench and provided a first-half spark with 12 points.
She scored six straight as part of a 9-2 run to give the Gators a 33-29 lead before halftime. She didn’t score again but was still the team’s leading scorer.
UK’s Victoria Dunlap, who was averaging 17.7 points, scored a quiet seven points in the first half. The Gators’ plan to limit her touches worked, and Dunlap took just five shots.
It was Snowden — shooting 41.6 percent from beyond the arc — who picked up the offensive slack for UK.
She more than doubled her normal offensive production in the first half with 11 points. She played 29 minutes and finished with a game-high 21 on a 5-of-5 three-point effort.
“Snowden hit and we seemed to be surprised every single time that she shot in our face,” Butler said. “She scored one way, and we never took it away from her.”
The Gators will try to right the ship at home Sunday against Georgia.
