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Saturday’s matchup between the No. 5 Florida Gators and No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers presented a marquee matchup between two top-ten teams. The last time the two faced off, Florida won by 30 points at its home arena.
Despite being down two starters, Tennessee completely flipped the script Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. The Volunteers (18-4, 5-4 SEC) dominated the Gators (18-3, 5-3 SEC) 64-44, snapping their two-game losing streak.
Inside the Gators’ Instant Analysis takes a quick look at how the game unfolded.
IT WAS OVER WHEN: Florida failed to make 10 field goals in the first half.
The Gators are one of the best offensive teams in the Southeastern Conference and in college basketball. According to KenPom rankings, Florida ranks third in offensive efficiency and has one of the best backcourts in the country.
However, the Volunteers are known for their stifling defense, which showed Saturday at their home arena. The Vols limited the Gators to 44 points and only Florida senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. eclipsed the double-digit point margin.
UF shot 23% from the field, hit four of its 27 three-point attempts, and tallied just five assists the entire game. There was zero cohesion from the Gators’ offensive from the opening tip.
THEY STOLE THE SHOW: There weren’t many players that had above-average performances on the offensive end of the court. However, Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier finished with 19 points after scoring 13 in the second half and landed three of his four three-point attempts.
Lanier shot less than 40% in the Volunteers’ last two matchups, which resulted in losses. Without Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler, who was announced out hours prior to Saturday’s matchup, much of the offensive responsibility lay on Lanier, who took over in the second half to lift the Vols to victory.
THESE STATS DON’T LIE: Florida hasn’t won at Thompson-Boling Arena in 11 seasons. Additionally, the Gators have never won a top-10 road matchup in program history.
Despite Florida winning 73-43 in its last matchup versus the Volunteers, the largest margin of victory versus a No. 1 seed since 1968, the Gators appeared like an entirely different team Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
THIS MATCHUP PROVED KEY: Tennessee is known for its defensive capabilities and did a phenomenal job of limiting Florida’s backcourt from beyond the arc.
Gators senior guard Will Richard took just two shots the entire game and finished with two points. UF guard Alijah Martin shot two-of-nine from three and recorded just six points.
Clayton was the lone double-digit scorer but shot a measly 3-13 from the field, missing seven three-point attempts.
WHAT A PLAY: There weren’t many highlights from Florida. However, undoubtedly the most impressive display of athleticism came from the Volunteers in the first half.
Gators center Rueben Chinyelu was denied at the rim with two hands, leading to a fastbreak three for the Vols and a significant shift in momentum, favoring Tennessee.
UP NEXT: The No. 5 Florida Gators host the No. 24 Vanderbilt Commodores (16-4, 4-3 SEC) Tuesday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.
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