Gainesville, FL — Four Florida players scored in double figures and the short-handed Gators overwhelmed No. 6 Tennessee 75-49 in their Southeastern Conference matchup at Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center Tuesday night.
Noah Locke led the way for Florida with 14 points and Tyree Appleby added 13 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and three steals as the Gators improved to 7-4 overall and 4-3 in SEC play.
Active leading scorer Tre Mann finished with 12 points and made 6 of his 11 shots from the floor, while Ques Glover chipped in with 10 points and three steals off the bench and Omar Payne had nine points, nine rebounds, and five blocks for Florida.
John Fulkerson, who made 6 of 9 shots to finish with 15 points, five assists and four rebounds, was the only Tennessee scorer in double figures in the defeat.
Florida controlled the game from the opening minutes and led 38-27 at halftime.
The Gators used an 11-0 run to stretch their advantage to 20 points at 53-33 with 14:19 remaining in the second half and then held the Volunteers (10-2, 4-2) to just 16 points afterward to finalize the upset.
Tuesday’s defeat snapped a three-game winning streak for Tennessee, which enters to No. 13 Missouri on Saturday.
