The Rowdy Reptiles — the Florida Gators’ loyal and loud student section — camped out Friday night and filled their seats two hours prior to Saturday’s tipoff.
Anticipation was sky high for a visit from the Wildcats, the nation’s seventh-ranked team and the SEC’s gold standard.
Coach John Calipari made sure his players got the message.
Their coach’s words took a while to sink in. Once they did, the Wildcats were unstoppable, erasing an 11-point deficit during the final 14 minutes to deliver the Gators a demoralizing, 65-54 defeat.
“When we pulled up, there were tents outside this building,” Calipari said following his team’s eighth straight win.