Florida Gators Defeat Kentucky Wildcats 92-83

Gators maintain first place in SEC with home win over ranked opponent

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The No. 14 Florida Gators secured a 92-83 victory over the No. 25 Kentucky Wildcats at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on Saturday. Xaivian Lee led the Gators with 22 points, while Urban Klavžar scored 19 off the bench. Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu both recorded double-doubles for Florida, which built an early lead and held off a Kentucky comeback attempt in the second half.

Why it matters

The win keeps Florida in sole possession of first place in the SEC standings, further solidifying their position as a top contender in the conference. The Gators' ability to withstand Kentucky's second-half run and maintain their advantage demonstrates their resilience and composure against a ranked opponent.

The details

Florida jumped out to a 32-17 lead midway through the first half and led 43-34 at halftime. Kentucky opened the second half with a 7-0 run to make it a one-possession game, but the Gators never relinquished the lead and pushed the margin as high as 16 points in the second half. UF head coach Todd Golden praised his team's rebounding and defense down the stretch, which helped secure the victory.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 15, 2026.

The players

Xaivian Lee

A Florida player who led the Gators in scoring with 22 points.

Urban Klavžar

A Florida player who scored 19 points off the bench.

Alex Condon

A Florida player who recorded a double-double.

Rueben Chinyelu

A Florida player who recorded a double-double.

Thomas Haugh

A Florida player who scored 17 points and had 8 rebounds.

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What they’re saying

“Really good college basketball game. I thought we did a really good job first half, getting off to a great start. I thought we kind of lost our edge a little bit in the middle of the first half. I heard you guys talking about the Rueben three, we kind of were lackadaisical with the ball in transition a little bit when I thought we could have maybe knocked them out. But credit to Kentucky, I thought they did a good job fighting, cutting that lead. They went on a 10-0 run on the heels of that, and nip and tuck a little bit early of the first 10 minutes of the second half. But I thought we did a really good job, relentless getting on the glass, you know, especially last 10 minutes of the game and making sure we got second-chance opportunities, making sure we got to the line. And our defense was great early, not great in the middle, but pretty good late guarding the line and making sure that we didn't give up any sort of run down the stretch. So, great win. I don't think we played our best, but we played well enough.”

— Todd Golden, UF Head Coach (247sports.com)

The takeaway

Florida's ability to withstand Kentucky's second-half comeback attempt and maintain their lead demonstrates the Gators' resilience and composure as they continue their push for the SEC title. The team's strong rebounding and defense down the stretch were key factors in securing the important conference victory over a ranked opponent.