Kentucky Wildcats ends perfect season

LEXINGTON – The University of Kentucky wrapped up a rare unbeaten regular season in top flight US college basketball on Saturday with a 67-50 victory over the University of Florida.

The 31-0 Wildcats became the first program from a major conference to go without a defeat in the regular season since Indiana University in 1975-76.

All but six of their 18 victories against rivals from the Southeastern Conference came by double digits.

But Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky’s Dominican-American center who is a top NBA prospect, said perfection will mean little to the Wildcats if they can’t go on to capture a national title in the upcoming NCAA collegiate tournament, which each year enthralls US sports fans in ”March Madness.”

”The perfect season doesn’t matter to us,” said Towns, the son of an American father and Dominican mother who was selected at 16 to play for the Dominican Republic in international competition.

”A national championship is what matters to us. That’s what our goal is,” he said.

After a tight first half, Kentucky began pulling away with a 7-0 scoring run in the second half.

Devin Booker opened the stretch with a 3-pointer, Tyler Ulis made a layup off a Trey Lyles steal and Towns scored for a 51-41 lead with just over eight minutes to play.

The closest Florida got from there was eight points. (AFP)