Gators upset No. 2 Tennessee for biggest win of Todd Golden era
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators matched their highest-ranked home win in school history Wednesday with their 67-54 upset over No. 2 Tennessee.
Down 44-38 with just over 10 minutes to play in the second half, Florida caught fire with a 22-5 stretch to take a double-digit lead at the 2:55 mark.
The Volunteers cut the deficit to 61-54 with a minute and a half left, but UF closed out the game on a 6-0 run for the biggest victory of the Todd Golden era.
Two-time All-SEC performer Colin Castleton led the Gators with 20 points and nine rebounds, scoring 12 points during the team’s decisive run. It marked his first 20-point game since his 22-point performance against Oklahoma on Dec. 20.
Kyle Lofton finished 14 points and UF got nine points apiece from Myreon Jones and Will Richard (all from downtown). The Gators shot 44 percent as a team and 35 percent from 3, while holding Tennessee to a 28 percent shooting night and 20 percent beyond the arc.
Florida opened the game with a 17-4 lead, but the Vols responded with a 17-5 run their own and trailed 27-21 at the break. Tennessee pulled ahead with 12:27 remaining in the second half and stretched the lead to six before UF took control.
This is a signature win for Golden, who claims Florida’s sixth all-time victory against a top-2 opponent. The Gators just faced a top-five opponent in back-to-back games for just the second time in program history and the first time in 55 years.
The Gators have now won six of their last seven conference games and improved to 13-9 overall (6-3 SEC). They travel to Lexington on Saturday to play rival Kentucky in Rupp Arena before facing No. 4 Alabama on the road next Wednesday.
