“My heart was dropping,” Mintz said. “Thank God it rimmed out of there.”

Mintz and Devin Askew combined for 22 points as Kentucky’s backcourt committed just two turnovers, both of which came in the second half.

“We had only two turnovers, which is crazy,” Calipari said. “We’re talking about a team that led the nation in unforced turnovers. You could tell the last few weeks what we’ve all been working on, getting the easiest play, and not trying to be a hero.”

Olivier Sarr led the Wildcats with a team-high 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Sarr made 14 free throws on 17 attempts before fouling out with 1:03 remaining. Sarr has scored 38 points in the past two games, giving the Wildcats a solid presence in the post.

“I’ve been focusing on fighting and competing,” he said. “I’ve been playing my game out there and there’s no pressure. I’ve been locked in and having fun at the same time.”

Dontaie Allen continued his offensive surge and finished with 14 points to go along with five rebounds. Calipari was pleased with Allen’s offensive performance, which he says helped offset defensive lapses at times.

“Dontaie broke down a ton today defensively,” Calipari said. “He made baskets and free throws when we needed it. He may have given up as many as he scored, but I told him, if that’s the case and it’s even Steven, I’m probably good with you.

“He deserves to be on that court and you know what he does to the defense. He had some breakdowns, but as I told him (after the game), you’ll have seven or eight breakdowns. Let’s just get it to four and keep making shots.”

Gametracker: Kentucky at Florida, Saturday, 5 p.m. (EST). TV/Radio: ESPN, UK Radio Network.

Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today. Reach him at keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com or twitter @keithtaylor21