Florida Gators Dominate No. 1 Tennessee, Ending Their Undefeated Streak
After suffering their first defeat of the season, the Florida Gators showcased their resilience with a decisive win on Tuesday.
The eighth-ranked Florida team triumphed over the top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers with an impressive score of 73-43 at Exactech Arena in Gainesville. With this victory, Florida improved to 14-1 overall and 1-1 in the SEC, while Tennessee’s record also fell to 14-1 and 1-1 in the SEC.
The Gators kicked off the match with a swift 12-0 lead and maintained control throughout the first half, ending it with a significant 34-15 advantage. In the second half, Florida continued their dominance, achieving a game-high lead of 36 points (64-28) with just under six minutes left in the game.
Leading the Gators was Alijah Martin, who scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds. Denzel Aberdeen contributed 16 points, and Alex Condon added 12. For the Volunteers, Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier each scored 10 points.
This victory came on the heels of Florida’s 106-100 loss to No. 11 Kentucky just days prior. The defeat caused the Gators to slip three spots in the YSL News Sports Coaches Poll, moving from fifth to eighth place.
Tennessee faced significant challenges during the game, managing just 21% (12-of-56) shooting overall, with a disappointing 4-of-29 from beyond the arc. Although they avoided experiencing the largest loss ever for a top-ranked team, Tennessee did endure their biggest deficit since the 1951 record when No. 2 Kentucky defeated No. 1 St. John’s by a staggering 41 points.
The Volunteers had entered this game after a convincing 76-52 triumph over Arkansas, which tied their best start in program history dating back to 1922-23. Additionally, they celebrated a program milestone as they have been ranked No. 1 for five consecutive weeks, surpassing their own record of four weeks set in the 2018-19 season.
This loss marked Tennessee’s lowest scoring game of the season, with their prior low being 64 points against Virginia on November 21, 2024, and their overall lowest scoring performance since a 46-43 victory against Auburn on February 4, 2023.
