A day later White’s undermanned and presumably outgunned team proved their coach wrong, stunning No. 6 Tennessee 75-49 Tuesday at the O’Connell Center.
With Hall of Fame announcer Dick Vitale courtside and a national audience tuned in, the Gators (7-4, 4-3 SEC) stunned the Vols (10-2, 4-2) as several role players rose to the occasion.
The Gators entered the night having lost three of four games, but outclassed the Vols in every phase of the game. UF outshoot UT 49% to 29% from the field, outscored the Volunteers 42-24 in the paint, held a 44-36 rebounding edge and scored 27 points off turnovers.