Rocky Top Revenge: No. 8 Tennessee Silences Doubters in Blowout Win Against No. 5 Florida

By: Audrey Gillespie 

February 1, 2025

The No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers showed up and showed out, delivering an impressive performance this past Saturday in a sold-out Food City Center against the No. 5 Florida Gators, winning the game by 20 points with a final score of 64-44. Tennessee last faced Florida on January 7, when they were ranked No. 1 and undefeated. However, No. 8 Florida defeated them decisively, 73-43. Entering this game, Tennessee had lost their previous two games against Auburn and Kentucky, raising doubts about head coach Rick Barnes and the team's ability to secure a victory. Compounding the challenge, two starters were out for the game: senior guard Zakai Zeigler was sidelined due to a knee injury, and senior forward Igor Miličić Jr. was out due to illness. Despite the odds, team morale remained high, although confidence was shaky. The Volunteers recognized what was at stake: they needed to win and redeem themselves, and that's precisely what they accomplished.

The game began with Tennessee receiving the ball. Both teams started slowly, missing several attempts. At 16:23, Florida held a 6-2 lead, which remained a tight 2-point game until 8:09, when Chaz Lanier made a three-point jumper, assisted by Darlinstone Dubar, giving the Vols a 9-6 lead. However, the Vols went scoreless for 4:06, missing their next six shots, which allowed Florida to increase their lead to three points at 17-14. This scoring streak was eventually broken, and the Vols regained the lead at 1:07 on the clock when Chaz Lanier made another three-point jumper, this time assisted by Jahmai Mashack, putting them up 21-19. With one minute remaining in the first half, the game was tied at 21-21 after Florida's Denzel Aberdeen made two successful free throws. The Vols quickly responded as Cade Phillips scored with a dunk, assisted by Jordan Gainey, to take a 23-21 lead with 54 seconds left. Phillips then made a free throw with four seconds remaining, ending the first half with Tennessee leading 24-21.

Going into the second half, Tennessee recognized the need for change after a closely contested first half marked by scoring droughts and strong defensive play. As the second half began, the Volunteers quickly took charge, wasted no time asserting their dominance, and scored the first six points. This offensive surge set the tone for the remainder of the game. By 18:08, Tennessee was leading 30-21 with contributions from Jordan Gainey and Felix Okpara. At the 16:14 mark, Jahmai Mashack scored a layup, assisted by Gainey, extending the Vols' lead to 10 points at 36-26. The advantage grew to 12 points after Gainey made a jumper, pushing Tennessee ahead by 13 points as Florida struggled offensively. Florida failed to score for four minutes and 29 seconds, missing six consecutive shots until they finally put points on the board at the 6:32 mark. At 6:52, Mashack scored a tip-in, increasing the Vols' lead to 19 points at 52-33. Florida managed to narrow the gap to 44-60 with 2:56 remaining, but Tennessee sealed the game by scoring the last four points, ending with a dunk by Okpara. The final score was 64-44, giving the Volunteers a decisive 20-point victory.