KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Vols took down the Florida Gators in front of a sellout crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday afternoon, 73-61.
Grant Williams led Tennessee with 16 points, along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Admiral Schofield scored 14 points and recorded 5 rebounds. Jordan Bone recorded 10 points.
It was a tight contest in the first half. Tennessee led by 16 with less than five minutes on the clock. Then Florida used a run to shorten the Vols' lead to just 6 points at halftime.
The Vols pulled away in the second half, shooting nearly 60 percent while knocking down four three-pointers.
Tennessee's defense held the Gators to just 35.6 percent from the field and 8-26 from three-point range. This mirrors the Vols' defensive performance in their game against Missouri on Tuesday, when they held the Tigers to just under 37 percent shooting.
"I do think we're getting more and more locked in," said head coach Rick Barnes of the Vols' recent defensive play. "We're doing a better job of guarding the ball."
This victory is Tennessee's 18th consecutive win, improving their record to 22-1 and 10-0 in conference play. However, coach Barnes focuses on winning upcoming games more than reminiscing on previous victories.
"I've never thought about win streaks," he said. "I want these guys to enjoy what they're doing....I appreciate how hard they've competed and I appreciate the fact they do want to get better."
The Vols host South Carolina on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.