ATLANTA (AP) Kenny Boynton scored 22 points and No. 12 Florida rebounded after going more than 6 minutes at the end of the first half without scoring, beating Tennessee 85-74 Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament.
All five starters were in double figures for the Gators (25-6), who picked up their trophy for winning the SEC regular-season title, then played like champions after that dismal stretch.
Tennessee (19-14) closed the first half on a 21-4 run and went to the locker room up 34-29. The Gators didn't even score over the final 6:24, dragging off the court as if they weren't sure what hit them.
But Florida shook it off in the second half. Boynton delivered a crushing blow, a 3-pointer with 4:26 remaining, posing with his hand outstretched in front of the Gators' bench.
Tobias Harris led Tennessee with 25 points.
Florida advanced to face Vanderbilt or Mississippi State in Saturday's semifinals, while Tennessee will await its fate on Selection Sunday. Despite the loss and a fifth-place finish in the SEC East, the Vols could land a spot in the 68-team NCAA tournament field based on their solid RPI and one of the nation's toughest schedules.
The Gators were cruising in the first half, going up 25-13 on Boynton's lay-in off a pass from Chandler Parsons. But Tennessee turned up the defensive pressure and Florida crumbled.
Erving Walker's floating jumper gave the Gators a 29-25 lead their final points of the half. Florida's last 11 possessions went like this: seven missed shots, another miss on the front end of a 1-and-1, and three turnovers.
Harris carried the Vols, accounting for more than half their offensive output with 18 points. He sparked Tennessee with a three-point play and scored their final points of the period on a 3-pointer.
Whatever coach Billy Donovan said in the locker room, it sure worked.
The Gators were about as efficient as a team could be over the final 20 minutes. They had only three misses in 17 shots from the field, but it was at the foul line where the points really piled up. Pounding the ball inside, Florida got in the bonus with more than 12½ minutes left in the game, finishing 24 of 33 at the foul line in the second half.
In the first half, the Gators got to the line only four times.
Tennessee's frustration boiled over when coach Bruce Pearl barked about a call his son Steven didn't get, immediately drawing a technical. The elder Pearl was so upset he ripped off his jacket, revealing bright orange suspenders that matched his orange tie.
Not wanting to pick up another T, the coach twice sent his players over to the officials to complain about calls.
Florida completed a season sweep of Tennessee, and this was the easiest one yet. The Gators won in overtime at Knoxville, then pulled out a 61-60 win on a basket in the closing seconds in Gainesville.
Walker had 17 points, Vernon Macklin 15, Parsons 12 and Alex Tyus 10. Scott Hopson scored 19 for Tennessee, which shot only 12 of 31 (39 percent) in the second half.
All five starters were in double figures for the Gators (25-6), who picked up their trophy for winning the SEC regular-season title, then played like champions after that dismal stretch.
Tennessee (19-14) closed the first half on a 21-4 run and went to the locker room up 34-29. The Gators didn't even score over the final 6:24, dragging off the court as if they weren't sure what hit them.
But Florida shook it off in the second half. Boynton delivered a crushing blow, a 3-pointer with 4:26 remaining, posing with his hand outstretched in front of the Gators' bench.
Tobias Harris led Tennessee with 25 points.
Florida advanced to face Vanderbilt or Mississippi State in Saturday's semifinals, while Tennessee will await its fate on Selection Sunday. Despite the loss and a fifth-place finish in the SEC East, the Vols could land a spot in the 68-team NCAA tournament field based on their solid RPI and one of the nation's toughest schedules.
The Gators were cruising in the first half, going up 25-13 on Boynton's lay-in off a pass from Chandler Parsons. But Tennessee turned up the defensive pressure and Florida crumbled.
Erving Walker's floating jumper gave the Gators a 29-25 lead their final points of the half. Florida's last 11 possessions went like this: seven missed shots, another miss on the front end of a 1-and-1, and three turnovers.
Harris carried the Vols, accounting for more than half their offensive output with 18 points. He sparked Tennessee with a three-point play and scored their final points of the period on a 3-pointer.
Whatever coach Billy Donovan said in the locker room, it sure worked.
The Gators were about as efficient as a team could be over the final 20 minutes. They had only three misses in 17 shots from the field, but it was at the foul line where the points really piled up. Pounding the ball inside, Florida got in the bonus with more than 12½ minutes left in the game, finishing 24 of 33 at the foul line in the second half.
In the first half, the Gators got to the line only four times.
Tennessee's frustration boiled over when coach Bruce Pearl barked about a call his son Steven didn't get, immediately drawing a technical. The elder Pearl was so upset he ripped off his jacket, revealing bright orange suspenders that matched his orange tie.
Not wanting to pick up another T, the coach twice sent his players over to the officials to complain about calls.
Florida completed a season sweep of Tennessee, and this was the easiest one yet. The Gators won in overtime at Knoxville, then pulled out a 61-60 win on a basket in the closing seconds in Gainesville.
Walker had 17 points, Vernon Macklin 15, Parsons 12 and Alex Tyus 10. Scott Hopson scored 19 for Tennessee, which shot only 12 of 31 (39 percent) in the second half.
