Florida Gators

WHAT HAPPENED: Forward Grant Williams scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while guard Jordan Bowden threw in 17 more, including some second-half daggers that surged the third-ranked Volunteers past the Gators and to a big Southeastern Conference victory Saturday before a sold-out Exatech Arena/O'Connell Center. Williams, the reigning SEC Player of the Year, hit eight of his 11 shots, including his only 3-pointer, and also had four assists in 36 minutes. Bowden had 12 straight points for UT during a pivotal stretch when the Vols erased a three-point UF lead inside eight minutes to go. His 3-pointer at the 5:51 mark tied the game, then his steal and run-out slam dunk gave Tennessee a lead it never gave back. The Gators had some chances late, twice trailing by two and with the ball, but were doomed by empty possessions on a night they shot 35.2 percent overall and 12-for-32 from the 3-point line. Tennessee shot 52.7 percent for the game, including 57 after halftime. Florida was led by senior guard KeVaughn Allen's 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting and 5-for-6 from the arc, plus another 17 points from freshman guard Noah Locke, who nailed four treys. UT guard Admiral Schofield had 14 points and eight rebounds. 
 
WHAT IT MEANS: A win over the nation's third-ranked team would have been a gold-star on the UF resume, but UT definitely played up to its billing, especially down the stretch. Florida has now lost two of its first three SEC games for the first time since the 2009-10 season, when the Gators opened with a pair of league losses (at Vanderbilt and home against Kentucky), but won its third conference date by defeating LSU. UF has six losses in its first 15 games for the first time since 2014-15, the last season under Coach Billy Donovan. The Gators, though, started league play 3-0 that season, not 1-2. Make that 16 straight losses to teams ranked in the Associated Press top five, a run of defeats that started in the 2009-10 season.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Locke now has six straight games scoring in double figures and, clearly, has no problem taking shots or being a go-to option for his team. He's averaged 14.8 points over those six games. 

STAGGERING STATISTIC: Freshman point guard Andrew Nembhard had a game he'll want to soon forget (or use for motivation). Steady, consistent and poised to this point of the season, Nembhard went 1-for-10 from the floor, missing his first seven shots, including a pair of point-blank unguarded layups, plus all three 3-pointers. He finished with two points, one rebound, five assists and thee turnovers in 34 exhausting minutes against a very aggressive defense.. 

UP NEXT: Florida (9-6, 1-2) is back on the SEC road with a Tuesday night visit to No. 14 Mississippi State (12-3, 0-2). The Bulldogs, though a veteran team, were upset last week at South Carolina and again Saturday at home by rival Ole Miss 81-77.