NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The signage inside Bridgestone Arena for this year’s SEC Tournament resembles that of a vintage boxing poster. That was fitting for Saturday’s semifinal heavyweight bout between No. 4 Florida and No. 5 Tennessee.
After sparring back and forth for a half, the Gators drew first blood following the break.
Florida answered an early Alabama 3 with a deep haymaker of its own. From there, the Gators put together a flurry of punches, capitalizing on a flagrant-1 foul before peppering the Tide in the paint.
Alabama couldn’t stop the bleeding, as Florida went on a 17-2 run to turn a one-point deficit into a 14-point lead.