Tennessee vs. Florida score: Offensive woes reappear for No. 2 Volunteers as Gators earn huge Quad 1 win

USATSI

Just a day after hitting his highest AP Top 25 spot in five years, Tennessee’s No. 2 fell 67-54 in Florida on Tuesday night due to a disastrous offense. The Gators (13-9, 6-3 SEC) held Tennessee (18-4, 7-2) to just 27% shooting and forced the Volunteers to stay cold for long stretches while picking up their second victory in Quad 1 of the season. The Volunteers are the 10th different No. 2 ranked team to lose this season.

Florida has now won six of its last seven conference games under freshman coach Todd Golden. Colin Castleton led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds with all but four of his points in the second half. The Volunteers took a 44-38 lead with 10:40 remaining, but only managed two shots from the floor over the next eight minutes as the Gators went on a 22-5 run.

Tennessee entered the game with the No. 1 ranked defense in the nation, according to KenPom.com, but the performance underscored the recurring offensive issues that have plagued the Volunteers. It was the third time this season that Tennessee failed to shoot at least 30 percent from the floor. The Volunteers made just 5 out of 25 attempts from 3-pointers and finished with just seven assists.

Florida started a weak offense in a 64-50 loss to Kansas State on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge and shot a respectable 43.8 percent from the floor against the vaunted Volunteers defense. Although UF entered the game outside of the NCAA Tournament picture in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology, the result should bring Florida closer to the bubble.

The Gators are still just 2-7 in Quad 1 games, but have marquee Quad 1 opportunities over the next week with games at Kentucky and No. 4 Alabama. Tennessee will stay on Palm’s projected No. 2 line even after the loss. A Saturday home game against No. 25 Auburn is next for the volunteers.