Aaron Bradshaw's two clutch shots saved Kentucky against Florida
Aaron Bradshaw had a very forgettable first half against Florida. The 7-foot-1 Kentucky freshman played 10 minutes but failed to score and only came down with one rebound. He was doing a solid job of forcing Florida into contested shots at the rim, but his offense left plenty to be desired.
Luckily for the Wildcats, in the second half, he looked more like the five-star prospect he’s been heralded as.
Bradshaw posted 10 points, six rebounds, two steals, and one block in 15 minutes after the break. He went 3-5 from the field and 3-6 from the free throw line. It was his two made jumpers down the stretch that allowed Kentucky to complete the comeback and steal an 87-85 road win against Florida.
The first clutch shot came with 5:07 to go in the game and Kentucky trailing by three, 70-67. John Calipari scripted an out-of-bounds play designed for Bradshaw, who received the ball on the baseline and canned the long two-pointer to make it a one-point game. The shot even elicited a double-fist pump from Calipari. Bradshaw had just drilled a pair of freebies a minute prior.
But it was Bradshaw’s second jumper that altered the outcome and pushed Kentucky in front for good.
With 1:27 remaining on the clock and the score knotted at 76-76, the rookie center knocked down a game-changing, top-of-the-key triple to give the Wildcats a three-point advantage. Florida dared Bradshaw to shoot it, and he made the Gators’ defense pay in the form of the biggest moment of the entire contest.
“Man it felt real good,” Bradshaw said about how he felt when he let the shot fly. “I just got low and held the follow-through and made the shot.”
Bradshaw’s celebration once Florida called a timeout might have been more exciting than the actual shot.
It wasn’t just those two shots that made Bradshaw stand out though. His lone rejection of the day couldn’t have come at a better time, either. It actually happened on the possession right before his clutch three-pointer. Bradshaw shoved a Florida layup attempt into the hardwood, resulting in a turnover for the Gators.
Less than 20 seconds later, Bradshaw would hit the shot that sent Kentucky back to Lexington with a 1-0 record to start conference play. Not a bad performance from someone who was playing in just his sixth college basketball game and first true road atmosphere.
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