Senior Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) scored a team-high 18 (8-of-12) points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Florida (13-3, 2-0) past Tennessee (10-6, 0-2) in an overtime thriller at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday night. Tyus also recorded three blocks and turned a steal into a dunk in overtime to give the Gators the lead and win 81-75.
Four additional Florida players scored in double figures, as sophomore Kenny Boynton (Pompano Beach) had 17 (5-of-12), senior Chandler Parsons added 16 (5-of-7), junior Erving Walker had 15 (6-of-11) and senior Vernon Macklin finished with 11 (5-11). The Gators shot an even 50 percent from behind the arc, led by Parsons’ four three-pointers.
The Volunteers scored the last four points in regulation. Tennessee’s Brian Williams made a layup with 1:40 left to tie the game at 68, and both teams missed two shots before the clock expired.
The Gators stormed back in overtime with a 6-0 run, led by a Boynton three-pointer. Tennessee cut the margin to 79-75 with 23 seconds left, but Florida made four free throws to seal the win.
Cameron Tatum led Tennessee with 21 points.
Florida will return home to take on South Carolina at 1:30 p.m. on Sat., Jan. 15 in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
