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Hot Gators face road challenge against Kentucky

 
Published Feb. 6, 2016

Florida basketball coach Mike White knows wins at Kentucky's Rupp Arena are rare, rare things.

Since his only win at Rupp, in 1998 as a junior point guard at Ole Miss, White has been married, had five kids and is now on his fourth job. White, 38, now seeks his first win as a coach when the Gators visit the No. 20 Wildcats today.

"It's one of the famous arenas in sports," White said. "It's a significant home-court advantage, and Kentucky's always good. You've got to bring your A-game just to be competitive up there."

The Gators' three wins at Rupp since 1998 were by eventual Final Four teams — the 2006 and 2007 national title winners and the 2014 squad that won a school-record 30 straight games.

With five wins in six games, Florida is on a roll yet still could miss out on the NCAA Tournament if it stumbles badly down the stretch. A win at Kentucky would do wonders for its postseason qualifications.

The young Wildcats have lost two straight.

"They're back at home and I'm sure they're geared up," White said. "They don't lose two in a row a whole bunch."

UF is 12-1 at home, but 2-5 on the road, where three losses were to ranked teams — Miami, Michigan State and Texas A&M.

"We haven't had any easy opportunities on the road," White said. "We've had a really tough schedule and here comes another one for us."

Women

No. 5 Maryland 85, No. 17 Michigan State 76: Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 30, Brionna Jones had 17 points and 17 rebounds, and the host Terrapins (21-2, 10-1 Big Ten) beat the Spartans (17-5, 8-3) for their ninth straight victory. Maryland, which had a 43-33 rebounding advantage, never trailed in moving into a tie atop the conference standings with Ohio State. The Terrapins visit the Buckeyes on Monday night, looking to avenge an 85-80 defeat on Jan. 2.

SOUTH CAROLINA-UCONN A SELLOUT: No. 2 South Carolina's home game against No. 1 Connecticut on Monday night is the program's first sellout at 18,000-seat Colonial Life Arena.

HADEN TO STEP DOWN: Pat Haden, USC's athletic director since 2010, will retire on June 30. The former USC quarterback, 63, will start a one-year job guiding the renovation of the Coliseum. "Pat has accomplished USC's objectives here through his distinct blend of integrity, energy, wisdom, and character," school president Max Nikias said. Haden is believed to be the country's highest-paid AD, making at least $2.5 million in salary and benefits. Perhaps his most lasting accomplishment was USC's securing a 98-year lease to the Coliseum on terms seen as favorable to the university.