Wilbekin, No. 3 Florida outlast Tennessee 67-58
Florida's surrounding defense recovered in the nick of time for the third-ranked Gators to keep their winning streak going.
After falling behind in the initial half because of Tennessee's solid shooting, the Gators stepped up their protection down the stretch and won 67-58 Tuesday night for their 16th successive triumph. Florida also defeated the Volunteers in Knoxville for just the second time in its last 9 attempts.
Florida had actually permitted challengers to fire merely 38.4 percent in its initial 22 games of the period just before Alabama shot 55 percent in a 78-69 loss to the Gators on Sunday. Tennessee shot 62.5 percent in the very first half Tuesday, but the Volunteers made merely 29.2 percent (7 of 24) of their attempts after halftime.
" We didn't press a whole lot in the very first half," Florida coach Billy Donovan shared." The game I assumed for us merely acquired sort of inactive. ... We desired the game going up and down the flooring, to really get into an auto racing game, and I thought we pressed mainly most of the second half. We really did not turn them over a whole lot, yet it was merely disruptive in regards to flow.".
Scottie Wilbekin had 21 factors and six helps and Michael Frazier II included 11 points for Florida (22-2, 11-0 SEC). Wilbekin and Frazier both made key 3-pointers down the stretch to put the game out of reach.
Jarnell Stokes had 20 factors and 11 rebounds for Tennessee (15-9, 6-5), which was seeking a victory over a strongly rated challenger to boost its NCAA tournament hopes. Jordan McRae had 17 points and Josh Richardson 13.
When the teams last fulfilled, Florida directed Tennessee 67-41 in Gainesville on Jan. 25 to hand the Volunteers their most uneven loss in Cuonzo Martin's three-year training period. Tennessee fired 26.8 percent (15 of 56) general and 1 of 19 from 3-point assortment because game.
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" We understood we were a far better group compared to that first game anyhow, (even) while it was going on," Richardson claimed." We came out and played in addition to we could possibly today, and they just beat us.".
Tennessee ignited the crowd by having the gamers walk through a walkway in the Thompson-Boling Arena stands to obtain to the flooring, enabling followers to greet them on their means. The student part behind one container swished orange radiance sticks as Tennessee's beginning lineup was presented.
That environment might have induced the Vols to get a little as well amped up early on. After a basket by Stokes offered the Vols a very early 2-0 lead, Florida took place a 10-0 run by racking up 7 points off five Tennessee turn overs in the initial 4 1/2 mins.
But once the Vols calmed down, they profited from their sturdy shooting to pull ahead. Tennessee outshot Florida in the initial fifty percent yet simply led 34-33 at halftime because of Florida's capacity to compel turn overs and grab offensive rebounds.
" I was really encouraged coming into the half, just for the reality we 'd fired 36 percent from the field and they fired 62 and we're down by one," Donovan stated." That's generally a dish where you're down by 12 to 15.".
The tries Tennessee was making in the first half quit falling after halftime as Florida grabbed a seven-point lead.
The Vols returned in to the game by stepping up the strength on protection also as their own tries just weren't dropping. Tennessee cut the result in 55-54 on Stokes' three-point have fun with 4:32 left and had the ball with a possibility to pioneer after McRae obstructed Wilbekin's try.
It was the sort of scenario that could possibly have created the Gators to start considering their current past of disappointment in this structure. As an alternative, they produced a different surface this moment.
Tennessee forward Jeronne Maymon dedicated his 8th turn over of the night, causing Frazier's 3-pointer that prolonged Florida's cause 58-54 with 3:32 continuing to be. Wilbekin, which had missed his first five tries from behind the arc, additionally drained a 3 just greater than a min later on to pretty much seal the victory.
" I believe it has a little bit to do with encounter," Wilbekin shared." 4 senior citizens (in the starting schedule). It's been a while considering that we've had four seniors on the team. Merely stepping up, making huge use the offensive side and on the defensive side especially, remaining locked in and not slackening in eleventh hours of the game.".
