No. 4 Florida took the first step toward defending its Southeastern Conference Tournament title by defeating Kentucky 71-63 in the quarterfinals. The Gators, who have won their 12th consecutive game, never trailed and were tied only once. Alex Condon scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Florida, while Thomas Haugh added 13 points. Kentucky now has one more loss all-time (32) than they have in this tournament. The ninth-seeded Wildcats played their third game in as many days after opening the tournament.