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    Florida Routs Keon Johnson, No. 6 Tennessee 75-49 in SEC Action

    Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTFeatured ColumnistJanuary 20, 2021

    Florida guard Tre Mann (1) and Tennessee guard Davonte Gaines (0) compete for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 19. 2021, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Stamey)
    Matt Stamey/Associated Press

    The Tennessee Volunteers have played excellent defense all season. But Tuesday, the Florida Gators were the ones who clamped down.

    Florida held No. 6 Tennessee to just 29.3 percent shooting in a 75-49 rout in SEC men's basketball action. That defense—and a balanced offensive effort with five players registering at least nine points—was enough for the homestanding Gators to pull off the upset.

    Matt Jones @KySportsRadio

    That Florida-Tennessee score is eye-opening

    Florida registered 11 steals, forced 18 turnovers, bested the Vols on the boards 44-36 and held UT to 28 points below its season average (77.2). Tennessee didn't help its cause, shooting a woeful 3-of-18 (16.7 percent) from deep.

    Add it all up, and you have the recipe for a surprising blowout.

       

    Key Stats

    Florida Routs Keon Johnson, No. 6 Tennessee 75-49 in SEC Action
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    Omar Payne, FLA: 9 PTS, 9 REB, 5 BLK

    Tyree Appleby, FLA: 13 PTS, 7 AST, 4 REB, 3 STL

    Tre Mann, FLA: 12 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST

    Noah Locke, FLA: 14 PTS, 3 REB

    John Fulkerson, TEN: 15 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB

    Keon Johnson, TEN: 8 PTS, 3 AST

    Santiago Vescovi, TEN: 7 PTS, 3 REB, 3 STL

    Victor Bailey Jr., TEN: 4 PTS

       

    No Colin Castleton and Scottie Lewis, No Problem

    Florida was without its third- and fourth-leading scorers in Colin Castleton and Scottie Lewis, making Tuesday's upset all the more improbable.

    The Gators (7-4, 4-3 in SEC) sure didn't miss a beat, though, relying on that fantastic defensive effort to make up for the loss in scoring options. Omar Payne was a one-man wrecking crew with his rim protection, blocking five shots. And Tyree Appleby and Ques Glover notched three steals apiece.

    Jake Winderman @jakewinderman

    Omar Payne looking much more fluid out there tonight. He's gotta step up with Castleton out. #Gators

    Alligator Army @AlligatorArmy

    If Omar Payne's capable of playing like this, he's gotta play like this more often.

    This is the sort of performance that can turn a season around. If this Florida continues to show up, the rest of the SEC will take notice.

       

    Tennessee Has to Brush This One Off

    Sometimes, you just stink. And Tennessee flat-out stunk Tuesday.

    The Volunteers (10-2, 4-2) remain a threat to win the SEC, however. Putting this blowout behind them will help in that pursuit, especially with a tough matchup against No. 19 Missouri up next.

       

    What's Next?

    Tennessee will attempt to rebound at home against Missouri at 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday. Florida will look to make it two wins in a row when it visits Georgia at 2 p.m. ET Saturday.