Florida vs tennessee

The Tennesee Volunteers met up with the Florida Gators on Saturday at 11AM at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. This matchup came roughly a month after the Gators upset the then number one ranked Volunteers by 30. With a two game losing streak, The Volunteers looked to snap a two game losing streak, and get back on track. 

Florida came into the matchup ranked fifth with an 18-3 record, while Tennessee dropped all the way to eight in the country at 18-4. All four of the Volunteers losses came in January, after the big loss to Florida. 

With a crowd of over 21,000 people, the Food City Center was rocking for this top ten matchup. The game started off tight with both teams struggling to make shots. The first five minutes of the game only saw 10 total points from both teams combined. 

The first half saw two defenses that absolutely dominated. There were no easy shots for either team throughout the entire half. The first 20 minutes ended in a 24-21 Tennessee lead going into the locker rooms. 

Tennessee started the second half hot. Tennessee took a 46-33 lead After the first ten minutes, almost doubling their entire first half total. Florida was never able to climb out of the hole. 

The Volunteers dominated the entire second half. After a rough first half, they ended their losing streak with a 64-44 blowout over the Gators. 

Senior guard Chaz Lanier led the Volunteers with 19 points and five rebounds, while Senior guard Jordan Gainey finished with a respectable 16 points, four rebounds, and five assists. 

The Gators shot 24% from the field, and 4-27 from behind the ark. They only had one player with double digit points. Senior guard Walter Clayton JR. was the Gators leading scorer with 10 points. Clayton had to leave the game with an ankle injury, but later returned to the game. 

The Gators dropped to fifth in the SEC, while the Volunteers are now only half a game behind them in sixth place. 

Tennessee will host 15 ranked Missouri Wednesday, February 5. The Volunteers hope to stay hot, and continue their rise in the rankings as they are now the number four ranked team in the country. 

Florida hosts Vanderbilt Tuesday, February 4. They look to get back on track after they dropped to sixth in the country.

Mason Garcia

DiSportsPhotoAgency

Writer