Florida Gators
Tennessee
Men's Hoops Dominates Tennessee 95-57
Saturday, January 10, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Sophomore guard Matt Walsh scored a game-high 20 points (6-of-10) and junior forward David Lee poured in 17 (7-of-10) while Tennessee struggled to find its rhythm as the 11th ranked Florida Gators rolled to an impressive victory on Saturday afternoon in front of a sold-out crowd of 12,098 at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The 38-point win is the largest Florida margin of victory in the history of the series.
"I think our guys came out and for 40 minutes really executed our style of play," said head coach Billy Donovan. "That was the way we wanted to play for really the entire game."
After the Volunteers scored the first points of the game, Florida went on a 24-5 run beginning with a Lee dunk. The Gators never looked back. Tennessee managed to put together a 9-2 run as Florida did not hit a shot from the floor for 5:31, but Florida was able to trade baskets for the final 3:12 of the half and go into intermission up by 19 points.
Florida shot 64 percent from the floor in the first half, including 67.7 from three-point range. Walsh and Roberson each had 10 points in the first half. Roberson was perfect from the floor including two threes.
The lead was never in doubt in the second half, but the Gators stepped up the intensity once again mid-way through the second half and rolled off a 16-4 run led by eight consecutive points from Walsh. The Gators finished the game on a 10-2 run.
"Anytime we get a chance to run and press like that, it's a lot of fun," said Walsh. "I think against Florida State and again today, that's our ideal way to play. It's more fun for everybody. Everyone gets involved and everyone touches the ball. It gets the fans energized. I think it's better all around."
Nine Gators scored in the victory including 33 points off the bench. Chris Richard finished with a career-high 11 points. Florida also forced 20 Tennessee turnovers.
Florida's .648 field goal percentage for the game is the highest against a SEC school under Donovan and the second-highest under Donovan overall.
Florida will have the week off before they travel to Nashville on Saturday to take on No. 20 Vanderbilt. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
