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Florida hands top-ranked Tennessee its first loss of the season in historic rout
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Florida mauled No. 1 Tennessee at home on Tuesday night, 73-43, to hand the Vols their first loss of the 2024-25 season.
The 30-point margin was the worst loss of the Rick Barnes era at Tennessee. And the 43 points the Volunteers mustered were the fewest in a game since Jan. 10, 2015. Per the SEC Network, Tennessee becomes the first unbeaten No. 1 team to lose a game by 25-plus points since 1968.
The Gators earned their first-ever home win over an AP No. 1 team; they were 0-5 entering the night.
Florida was the aggressor, an unrelenting brute from the opening tip. The Gators jumped out to a 12-0 lead and didn’t allow a make from the field for nearly 8 minutes to begin the game. They scored 40 points in the paint and scored 19 second-chance points. They held Tennessee to 13.8% shooting from the 3-point line and gave up just 12 made field goals in the entire game.
The Gators dominated the glass, owning the rebounding battle 55-38. That included 19 offensive rebounds.
Alijah Martin led all scorers with 18 points for the Gators on 6-of-14 shooting. Denzel Aberdeen added 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting with a pair of made triples. Alex Condon had a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double. Rueben Chinyelu had 15 rebounds and Walter Clayton Jr. supplied 5 assists.
Only 5 players scored for Tennessee in the game. Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier each had 10 points, but they combined to go 7-for-28 from the field and 2-for-15 from beyond the 3-point line.
The Gators bounced back from their first loss of the season this past Saturday in spectacular fashion. Koby Brea hit 7 3-pointers for Kentucky, which beat the Gators by 6 points in Lexington. Florida goes back out on the road next to face Arkansas on Jan. 11.
Tennessee will look for the same kind of response to defeat. It faces Texas on the road on Saturday.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
