GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Chandler Parsons scored 17 points, Alex Tyus made two big defensive plays late and Florida beat No. 10 Kentucky 70-68 Saturday night.
The Gators, who have struggled from the free-throw line all season, went 18 of 22 from the stripe and hit some clutch ones late.
Erving Walker hit both ends of two one-and-ones in the closing minutes. His final free throw put Florida (18-5, 7-2 Southeastern Conference) ahead for good. Tyus followed with a baseline hook shots and Parsons added a free throw with 12.7 seconds remaining.
The Wildcats (16-6, 4-4) had a final chance, but Brandon Knight’s 3-pointer came up short. Tyus had a hand in Knight’s face. Tyus also guarded Terrence Jones tight down the stretch, forcing a miss with about a minute left.
Knight led Kentucky with 24 points. Jones added 18 points and seven rebounds.
