Kentucky vs. Florida: Best Social Reactions to Wildcats' Win over Gators

The Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Florida Gators, 64-49, Friday to reach the semifinals of the 2015 SEC tournament. The Big Blue Nation was able to overcome last year’s defending champions in Nashville and stay a perfect 32-0 on the season.

Despite an everglade’s worth of gator emojis flooding Twitter and a hot start by the Blue and Orange, Florida wasn’t able to beat the odds against the No. 1 team in the nation. There was a glimmer of hope for the Gators at the half with the close score at 27-31, but the Wildcats ultimately rode a wave of home support to extend their four-point lead for the victory.

But wait, isn’t this tournament being played in Tennessee? Yes, but you wouldn’t know it from the crowd in Bridgestone Arena:

Kentucky’s performance in the first half was less than its vintage best, as the Wildcats shot poorly and gave Florida many dish-dunk opportunities at the rim. On offense, they settled for mid-range jumpers but collected the majority of offensive rebounds to stay with the Gators on the scoreboard through the early rough patch.

Based on its previous two games with the Gators, history seemed to be on Kentucky’s side at the half:

Florida was able to hold its own in the paint early, but as the game progressed (and the officials tended toward letting physical play continue in the first half), defensive stops called for spectacular efforts from the Gators against Kentucky’s imposing size:

Fans from both sides expressed their displeasure with the officials’ leniency at a frequency that would make you think they were actually tweeting about Frozen 2, but the men in black and white stripes tightened up their calls in the second half (and Kentucky took advantage):

The second half was a different story in many respects. The Wildcats enjoyed their customary double-digit leads and made good on their huge advantage from the free-throw stripe. (They were 19-of-23, compared to Florida’s 3-of-5, per ESPN.)

At the other end of the court, Kentucky’s defense got more serious as well to put the game to bed. Only Florida’s Jon Horford (15) Eli Carter (11) reached double digits in scoring, and the best Gator off the bench (Devin Robinson) was held to three points.

Meanwhile, Kentucky had four players registering at least one block (Willie Cauley-Stein, Karl-Anthony Towns, Aaron Harrison, Dakari Johnson), and as a team, the Wildcats gave up seven fewer personal fouls than their opponents.

Kentucky is 20-0 this season when holding opponents under 55 points, per the ESPN live broadcast. Since the Wildcats are undefeated, of course, the most important part of that stat is the fact that they have held opponents to under 55 points on 20 occasions.

In Friday’s quarterfinal, Kentucky notched five steals and six blocks and forced 12 turnovers to maintain that astounding defensive record.

Now, the Big Blue Nation will be anticipating Auburn with relish. These Wildcats are looking devastatingly comfortable playing the game their way, suggesting the only performance variable from here on out will be effort.

John Calipari was not afraid to tweak his platoon system against Florida when one of his players missed a defensive assignment. The Kentucky coach was quick to replace any man who wasn’t giving 100 percent at both ends of the court to make a statement and keep everyone on his toes:

That proactive approach proved to be sufficient compensation for the Wildcats’ only perceived weakness—i.e. complacency—and it should be a powerful incentive for all the future NBA draft picks hoping for maximum exposure during the NCAA tournament.

Expect Kentucky to continue its march to perfection through its final two games in the SEC tournament. The Wildcats are truly a force of nature, with the clout (it seems) to grab the attention of the nation.

Whether it’s the Big Blue Nation itself or fans of their opponents desperately hoping for an upset, college basketball enthusiasts are doing everything in their power to catch a glimpse of history—as was evident today:

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Listening to the game on the radio like its 1940. #BBN

— Seyf (@sethsja) March 13, 2015"

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"School" #BBN pic.twitter.com/aajgYwjZsz

— Cassuhdee (@CassidyLim1) March 13, 2015"

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Dear people in the library: please ignore my spastic movements, I'm watching the UK game right now. #BBNashville #bbn #uk

— Audrey Hehman (@audreyhehman) March 13, 2015"

Disclaimer: Staples should only be used as intended in a safe and responsible manner, such as by combining pieces of paper for a budget report or by stapling kitten-themed motivational posters to bulletin boards.

Kentucky’s defense has been compared to a brick wall:

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Live look at Kentuckys defense #BBN pic.twitter.com/z7NujjNhB6

— #EatTheTigers (@BasedBlackhawks) March 13, 2015"

It has also been compared to a killer shark:

But whether you love or loathe this year’s Kentucky team, you have to respect its commitment to defense. Defense wins tournaments, and it’s what separates college basketball from the NBA. Calipari’s Wildcats may be annoyingly unbeatable, but they also prove that no one is above playing defense for the good of the team.