No more unbeatens: No. 8 Florida topples top-ranked Tennessee 73-43 with stifling defense

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Alijah Martin scored 18 points, Denzel Aberdeen added 16 and No. 8 Florida thumped top-ranked Tennessee 73-43 on Tuesday night to knock off the last unbeaten team in Division I basketball.

Alex Condon chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds for his second double-double this season as the Gators (14-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) beat a No. 1 team for the third time in school history — the first in six tries at home — and extended their home-winning streak to 16.

Florida, a 2 1/2-point favorite according to BetMGM Sportsbook, dominated from the opening tip. The Gators scored the first 12 points as the Volunteers (14-1, 1-1) missed their first nine shots.

The Vols made four shots in the first 20 minutes and trailed by 36 points late.

Chaz Lanier, who played four seasons at North Florida before signing with Tennessee, scored 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting for the Vols.

Takeaways

Tennessee: One of the best defensive teams in the nation, the Vols were solid on that end of the court. Just about every basket Florida made was contested. The offensive end was a different story.

Florida: The Gators messed one thing up: They sold students tickets to the public as part of a three-game holiday package, forcing many “Rowdy Reptiles” into the upper deck for arguably the biggest home game.

Key moment

Aberdeen and Will Richard hit back-to-back 3s midway through the first half, turning a six-point lead into a 13-point advantage and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

Key stat

After allowing Kentucky to make 14 3-pointers in a 106-100 loss last week, the Gators held the Vols to 4 of 29 from behind the arc.

Up next

Tennessee plays at Texas on Saturday. Florida plays at Arkansas later that night.

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