I'll take it, although it wasn't exactly the outcome I came to expect after the initial 10 or so minutes.
In those early minutes the Gators showed what they were capable of: good ball movement, accurate shooting and lockdown defense.
We all thought that the Rupp crowd may get to the Gators. In the end it wasn't the Big Blue Nation, but foul trouble that became the major factor in this game -- thanks to a group of refs who called ticky-tack fouls on both teams all game long. Let the kids play, please.
Without Noah and Horford's presence inside, the Cats were able to establish their game with Randolph Morris underneath. Thankfully for the Gators the Cats couldn't establish squat from beyond the arc. That is, until the end of the game.
Kentucky kept it close with some big shots at the end, and I applaud them for that. In fact, I think that Kentucky deserves some credit for staying in this game until the end.
A W is a W. And it came in Lexington, where we've won only twice prior since 1998, on a Saturday night nationally televised affair in front of a hostile crowd. The Gators are now 10-0 in the SEC and the challenges to an unblemished conference slate are slowly dwindling.
They can't let up by any means, though. There are still games to play at LSU, Tennessee and Vanderbilt -- none of which will be easy with the giant target that lays on the Gators' back.
I'll have more on the game tomorrow at some point. It's been a long day and a stressful evening.
AP Photo/James Crisp