Two top-10 teams fell on the road in a loaded Tuesday night of men’s hoops. Here is a recap of all the action.
Florida handles No. 1 Tennessee, 73-43
The undefeated, top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers were dismantled on the road against No. 8 Florida, 73-43.
Going into tonight, Florida was 0-5 all-time when hosting a No. 1 team but managed to earn their first top-ranked home win by knocking off the only remaining undefeated team in DI men’s college basketball.
READ MORE: Andy Katz’s latest men’s basketball power rankings
The Gators jumped out to a 12-0 lead to open the game, as Tennessee did not find the bottom of the net until the 13:19 mark in the first half. Florida cruised to a 34-15 lead at the break, and the Gators’ defense continued to smother the Vols to the final whistle.
It was a truly dominant performance from the home team, holding the Vols to 21% shooting from the field and 4-29 from beyond the arc. Tennessee was held to its lowest point total of the season — 23 points below its previous mark, coming in a 64-42 win over Virginia in late November.
Florida certainly upped the pace in front of its home crowd, dropping 22 fast break points to UT’s three. However, each team had the same number of blocks (5) and steals (7), and they were only separated by one turnover. But a combination of a swarming Florida defense, a rowdy home crowd and an off-night for the No. 1 team resulted in a lopsided loss for the nation’s last unbeaten.
Gators’ Denzel Aberdeen had a season-high 16 points off the bench, and starting guard Alijah Martin paced the game in scoring with 18. Tennessee guards Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler led the Vols in scoring with 10 points apiece, but the two combined for 7-28 from the field.
Tennessee (14-1) will look to bounce back against Texas on Saturday, and Florida (14-1) will try to ride this hot streak into Fayetteville against Arkansas.
UGA knocks off No. 6 Kentucky, 82-69
Unranked Georgia hands No. 6 Kentucky its third loss of the season, and its second loss in the Wildcats’ last four games.
It’s a historically lopsided matchup between the SEC foes, as Kentucky led the all-time series 132-28 heading into tonight. However, the Bulldogs came to play in front of their home crowd, holding a 13-point lead at the half.
The stat sheet was remarkably even after the first 20 minutes, with the Bulldogs only knocking down one more shot at the break. But Georgia was a perfect 12-12 from the charity stripe, while Kentucky only shot three free throws.
This trend continued in the second half, with the Bulldogs shooting 26 more free throws in the final 20 minutes, connecting on 17. Georgia’s 14-point differential from the line was the difference in their 13-point win.
It was a two-point game with under five to play in the first half, but the Bulldogs went on a 15-4 run to close the half. In the second, the Wildcats pulled within five at the 12-minute mark, but Georgia once again pulled away, not letting Kentucky back within five for the remainder of the game.
Wildcat senior Lamont Butler led the game in scoring, dropping 20 points on 8-14 from the field. True freshman Asa Newell led the Bulldogs with 17 points, 12 coming in the second half.
Kentucky (12-3) continues on the road playing at No. 14 Mississippi State next, and Georgia (13-2) will host No. 17 Oklahoma on Saturday.
