LEXINGTON, Ky. — Florida’s basketball team started the season with an impressive 13-0 record, relying on their rebounds to fuel their offense. With the country’s top rebounding team, the Gators scored nearly 20 points per game on fast-break opportunities, ranking second in the nation as of Saturday.

In their game against Kentucky, which began shortly before noon on Saturday, Florida continued to dominate the boards with a rebounding edge of 38 to 30.

However, the Wildcats came out on top, claiming a 106-100 victory at Rupp Arena in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

This match-up featured two ranked teams, with Kentucky at No. 11 in the YSL News Coaches Poll and Florida at No. 5. It also marked the first SEC appearance for Kentucky’s new head coach, Mark Pope.

The Wildcats (12-2, 1-0 SEC) made a memorable debut for their coach.

By defeating Florida (13-1, 0-1) and handing them their first loss of the season, the Wildcats showed their capacity to control the game. Florida’s loss was particularly notable as it marked the Gators’ second-best start in program history, only behind their 17-0 run in 2005-06 — that team eventually won the school’s first national title.

The Wildcats effectively restricted Florida’s transition game, allowing the Gators to earn just three fast-break points throughout the match.

This limited scoring was not solely attributed to Kentucky’s defense, though.

The Wildcats’ offense consistently required Florida to inbound the ball after scoring, contributing to the Gators’ overall struggles.

Kentucky achieved an impressive shooting percentage of 57.8%, hitting 37 out of 64 attempts, marking the highest rate of success against Florida this season. Previously, North Carolina held that record with a 45.8% success rate in a 90-84 defeat to Florida last month.

From beyond the arc, the Wildcats also excelled, making nearly half of their 3-point attempts with a 48% success rate (14 of 29). Koby Brea was particularly stellar, hitting seven of his nine three-point shots and finishing with a team-high 23 points off the bench.

His teammates, Andrew Carr and Jaxson Robinson, each contributed with two 3-pointers.

Looking ahead, Kentucky is set to face its first SEC road game this season against Georgia in Athens on Tuesday.