KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A team that struggles to score against one that doesn't, that is overmatched against teams that can post and play physically, and is on the road against the No. 1 team in the country better do a lot of things right — most things, actually — if it's going to be in the game. 

That was the task Florida faced Saturday against top-ranked Tennessee, and the outcome, given the track record of this UF squad to date, went about as most might have predicted.

Junior forward Grant Williams and senior guard Admiral Schofield combined for 30 points and 12 rebounds for the Volunteers, who shot nearly 53 percent for the game and answered what limited runs the Gators sent their way in a 73-61 home victory in front of a sold-out, rowdy crowd of 21,261 at Thompson-Boling Arena. 

The Volunteers (22-1, 10-0), in extending their school record for consecutive wins to 18, remained unbeaten in 14 home games this season, with all but one of those decided by double figures. The Gators (12-11, 4-6), losers of three straight, just happened to be the latest. 

"To me, they're the best team in the country, [and] equally as good offensively as defensively," UF coach Mike White said. "Versatility, discipline, toughness and strength are words I'd use to describe them. They're very strong. Their guards can muscle you and their bigs can move their feet. That's a really good combination." 

And a really bad one for Florida.  

The Gators fell behind by double-figures just after the third media timeout and trailed by as many as 16 in the first half, before finishing the period with a 14-4 run that had the visitors within six, 36-30, at the break. 

A driving layup by Andrew Nembhard at the 17:32 mark of the second period drew UF with four points, 40-36, but UT got back-to-back baskets from 6-foot-11 forward Kyle Alexander and, after a timeout by White, added back-to-back 3s from guard Lamonte Turner to go up by 12. 

The margin was 14 when fifth-year senior wing Jalen Hudson (15 points) scored consecutive baskets, then freshman guard Noah Locke buried a transition 3-ball from the corner to pull the Gators within seven with 10:20 remaining.

Timeout, Tennessee. 

"A couple of times we were up and allowed them to go on a 7-0 and 5-0 run, and you have to give them credit for that," Vols coach Rick Barnes said. "They stayed with it."

So did Barnes' team. Out of the timeout, Tennessee scored nine straight, including a couple thundering dunks by Schofield that got the crowd back in the game at high volume, as the Vols went on to shoot better than 59 percent in the second half. 
 
"We made too many mistakes," Locke said. "There were a couple things in the [defensive] scouting report that we had emphasized that we needed to do to a T that we just didn't do very well." 

Like fighting better through screens. Like not getting ducked in on back screens. Like tracing the basketball on the perimeter to prevent point guard Jordan Bone's pinpoint entry passes to initiate halfcourt offense. Like a couple whiffs or no-shows on block-outs.  

Each of these were primary points of emphasis in film review and the advance scout. 

"They're a really good team. Props to them," Hudson said. "But we definitely made some mistakes that we need to fix." 

"If we do those things, maybe we make it interesting," White said.

Locke led the Gators with 17 points, including a 5-for-8 performance from the 3-point line. Hudson pitched in a season-high 15 points, but was 0-for-5 from the arc. Freshman point guard Andrew Nembhard, though he missed six of his seven shots, had five assists and no turnovers in 38 minutes against a ball-hawking defense. UF shot just 30 percent in the first half, to dig its hole, and 35.6 percent for the game, making just eight of 26 attempts from distance (.308). 

Florida out-rebounded Tennesee, 33-31, and forced 13 turnovers, but the Gators needed more of everything else, especially on the scoreboard, to keep from plummeting to a fifth loss against a top-10 ranked opponent this season, and an eighth in as many tries against teams currently ranked among the top 40 of the NET system that will seed the NCAA Tournament. 

UF also fell to 2-16 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams.

White was asked afterward about the Gators' flickering postseason hopes. His response was candid.

"Honestly, I have no idea. No disrespect at all, I don't care. I want to get better," White said. "Our guys know you have to win games to make the postseason. That's been addressed. You've got win games if you want to have a winning season — and that's up in the air. Are we capable? Yeah. We're a very inconsistent team, though. A team that we continue to talk to a lot about the same things."

And continue to get a lot of the same results. 

Probably not a coincidence.