KNOXVILLE, TENN. — Florida coach Billy Donovan wants his players to learn that they can't rely on their offense to bail them out of tough road games.
The 13th-ranked Gators had their lowest scoring output of the season while allowing Tennessee plenty of shots around the basket in the Volunteers' 67-56 win on Saturday.
"Both teams played hard, but the difference was the defense," Donovan said. "I still think our guys have a long way to go in terms of what they need to learn and how they need to grow, and these experiences hopefully will help us."
Florida, which has lost all four of its true road games this year, came in averaging 85.4 points this season, best among SEC teams and fifth in the nation. The Volunteers held the Gators to 35.7 percent shooting while hitting 51 percent of their own attempts.
It was the first win by an unranked Tennessee team against a ranked Florida squad since Feb. 27, 2007, when the Vols beat the fifth-ranked Gators 86-76. The Vols victory also marked the first signature win for first-year coach Cuonzo Martin, who replaced Bruce Pearl after the popular coach was fired for NCAA infractions. Pearl opened his own Tennessee career winning eight of nine games against Florida before finishing on a four-game losing streak in the series.
