GAINESVILLE, Fla. — 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 men’s 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 2½-point favorite according to the 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 in front of 11,011 fans.
“Tonight, we played with great physical and mental toughness,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “All eight guys that played answered the bell, and we obviously guarded incredibly well tonight. … It’s a great result for us.”
Chaz Lanier, who played four seasons at North Florida before signing with Tennessee, scored 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting for the Vols.
“This could be good for us,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said after the loss. “We’ll learn from it.”
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, however, was a different story.
Aberdeen and Will Richard hit back-to-back 3s for Florida midway through the first half, turning a six-point lead into a 13-point advantage and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The Gators did mess one thing up: They sold student tickets to the public as part of a three-game holiday package. Police had to escort dozens of angry students out of their usual courtside seats before tipoff.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
