Shorthanded Volunteers Clamp Down on Gators

Saturday, February 1

Knoxville, TN

12 PM

Florida Gators

18-3,5-3SEC

Tennessee

18-4,5-4SEC

Florida

Tennessee

Forward Alex Condon (center) and the Gators found next to nothing against Chaz Lanier (2), Felix Okpara (34) and a Tennessee defensive ranked No. 1 in the nation in efficiency.

Shorthanded Volunteers Clamp Down on Gators

Saturday, February 1, 2025 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Atrocious.

That's the word Florida coach Todd Golden used – twice – to describe his team's offensive performance in Saturday's loss at Tennessee.

Stifling. Choking. Smothering. Unforgiving. Merciless. Take your pick.

Those were the words that anyone could have been used to describe the eighth-ranked Volunteers' defense in the 64-44 school-yard bully job they did on their Southeastern Conference rival and No. 5 Gators before a sold-out crowd of nearly 22,000 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

UT starting point guard Zakai Zeigler, the 2024 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and league leader in assists, was a game-day scratch due to a knee injury. Starting forward Igor Milicic Jr., a double-figure scoring and team rebounding leader, was ruled out with the flu. No matter. The shorthanded Vols, with their defense ranked No. 1 nationally in efficiency, did what Rick Barnes teams do; they gave no quarter, were the aggressors from the opening tip and thoroughly frustrated the Gators and their high-powered offense into – by far – the worst performance of the season.

Senior guard Chaz Lanier led all scorers with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, while junior guard Jordan Gainey, replacing Zeigler, added 16 points, four assists and three turnovers in his first start of the season. UT (18-4, 5-4), trying to avoid its first three-game losing streak in SEC play in nine years, turned a tight three-point game at halftime into a laugher by shooting 51.7 after the break and holding the Gators (18-3, 5-3) to a season-worst 24.5 percent for the game.

The Vols shot 52 percent in the second and went four of nine from deep.

The result was a far cry from what played out a month ago when the Vols came to Gainesville unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the country, only to leave with a 73-43 beatdown that was the most lopsided loss by a top-ranked team in 57 years. Well, this one was Tennessee's most lopsided win over a top-five opponent. And the Vols did it using just seven players and minus two of their standouts.

"They were more physical, more ready to play," UF sophomore forward Thomas Haugh said after scoring six points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. "They wanted to get that win back, and they did."

Adding injury to insult for the Gators was the sight of senior point guard and scoring leader Walter Clayton Jr. rolling his ankle late in the first half and being carried to the locker room. Clayton returned in the second half, but was clearly battling through pain, unable to set his feet or use his usual explosiveness on drives to the basket or to get off quick shots. UF did not believe the injury was serious, as in long term. Lots of treatment (and ice) coming in the next few days.

"He was fighting for us, but he was obviously not himself," Golden said. "I appreciate him trying and I know his teammates did also."

Clayton finished with a team-high 10 points (nearly 8 below his 17.8 average), all in the first half, which was the only part of the game that was competitive. It was not, however, very pleasing to the eye.

Or, as Golden put it, "horrifically ugly basketball, both ways."

Tennessee led 24-21 at the break after shooting 29 percent to UF's 26. Both teams were 2-for-13 from deep.

The second half was much different … for the home team.

"We needed to come out with more energy," UF sophomore forward Alex Condon said.

Like the Vols did. They nailed their first five shots from the floor and soon had a double-digit lead. Little by little, the margin got taken out, with Gainey's shot-clock-beating 3-pointer with 12:54 to play pushing UT in front by 13. The lead swelled to as high as 21 with just inside six minutes to go.

"I thought we put up a fight as best we could," Barnes said.

Facts. Meanwhile, Florida's offensive struggles were the team's only constant of the game. UF came in averaging 85.3 points on 47-percent shooting overall and 9.3 makes from distance. Those numbers were sliced in half, as UT denied passing lanes, transition opportunities and any semblance of early offense.

UF guard Alijah Martin (blue 15) gets an eye full of harassing UT defender **Jahmai Mashack** (white 15) during Saturday's loss.

"Their physicality really, really bothered us. We couldn't seem to get catches where we wanted. Couldn't get downhill like we normally do offensively. We've been amazing offensively all year and we just looked terrible today," Golden said. "A lot of that had to do with the way they guarded us, clearly. They deserve a lot of credit for that. They dictated from start to finish and we just weren't able to adjust."

UF fifth-year guard Alijah Martin (averaging 16.1 points) and senior wing Will Richard (13.6 pg) combined for just eight points on 3-for-14 shooting. Junior guard Denzel Aberdeen had eight off the bench, but was 1-for-6 from the floor, as was Haugh.

It was that kind of across-the-board day for the Gators. The kind that needs to be flushed.

"If you had told me we'd hold 'em to 64, I would've thought we'd have a decent chance to win this game – and we were not close," Golden said. "I thought we guarded them well enough to win. We were just atrocious offensively."

There's that word again.

And it fit.

Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu