Instant Replay: Florida 81, Tennessee 75 (OT)
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 | Men's Basketball, Softball, Scott Carter
The Gators knocked off Tennessee 81-75 in overtime on Tuesday night, winning for the first time in Knoxville in six years.
Here is a quick look at the game:
How the game was won: The Gators took control in overtime after Erving Walker missed a potential game-winning shot at the end of regulation. Florida outscored Tennessee 13-7 in the five-minute overtime session, taking control by scoring the first six points and preventing the Volunteers from getting anything going in their half-court offense.
Turning point: Senior forward Alex Tyus made a steal and went the length of the court for a dunk, giving the Gators a 74-68 lead in OT that appeared to deflate Tennessee. The Vols never seemed to rebound after Tyus' big play.
Player of the game: Tyus finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and the aforementioned steal in one of the best games of his senior season. Tyus was active on both ends of the court, helping foul out Tennessee center Brian Williams in OT.
Stat of the game: Florida's five starters combined to score 77 of the Gators' 81 points, led by Tyus' 18 points. Kenny Boynton added 17, Chandler Parsons, 16, Walker, 15, and Vernon Macklin scored 11.
Shooting star: Boynton was clutch in OT, hitting a pair of three-pointers and two free throws to score eight of his 17 points in the final five minutes.
What it means: The Gators improved to 13-3 overall and 2-0 in the SEC. They have won a season-high five consecutive games and are in good position to start league play on a roll with winnable games coming up at home against South Carolina on Saturday, at Auburn, and a home game against Arkansas. If Florida can win at home Saturday over the Gamecocks, they should move back into the AP Top 25 after their first win at Tennessee since 2005.
Notes: Gators score 70 or more points for a season-high fourth consecutive game … Florida shot 8 of 16 from 3-point range; Gators are 17 of 34 from beyond the arc in last two games … Florida hit 52.5 percent of its shots (31 of 59).
