Walter Clayton Jr. scored 22 factors and second-seeded Florida outclassed fourth-seeded Tennessee 86-77 on Sunday to win the Southeastern Convention match title at Nashville.
Will Richard added 17 factors because the No. 4 Gators (30-4) earned the SEC’s computerized bid to the NCAA Match. Florida is predicted to be a No. 1 seed when the bracket is revealed later Sunday.
Alex Condon recorded 13 factors and 9 rebounds, Thomas Haugh tallied 11 factors and Alijah Martin had 10 factors for the Gators, who received their first SEC match title since 2014.
Jordan Gainey scored a season-best 24 factors for No. 8 Tennessee (27-7), which is able to possible land a No. 2 seed within the NCAA subject.
Zakai Zeigler added 23 factors, eight assists, 5 rebounds and three steals for the Volunteers, who misplaced to the Gators for the second time in three conferences this season.
Tennessee main scorer Chaz Lanier scored 11 factors on 4-of-10 taking pictures earlier than fouling out with 5:29 left.
The Gators shot 42.6 p.c from the sphere, together with 9 of 27 from 3-point vary. Florida held a 39-25 rebounding benefit. Tennessee made 44.9 p.c of its pictures and was 8 of 26 from behind the arc.
Florida led 60-47 simply earlier than the halfway level of the second half when Gainey’s less-than-a-minute 8-0 flurry introduced the Volunteers again within the sport.
Gainey started the spurt with a 3-pointer with 9:48 left. He drove via the lane for a hoop and was fouled and made the free throw 27 seconds later. Gainey then made two free throws with 8:56 left to deliver Tennessee inside 60-55.
A short while later, Clayton buried a 3-pointer to present Florida a 65-57 lead with 8:08 remaining. He nailed one other trey with 6:49 left to once more put the Gators forward by eight.
Felix Okpara’s dunk pulled the Volunteers inside six with 6:30 left however the Gators answered with eight straight factors. Haugh scored 5 straight factors, together with a 3-pointer, earlier than Richard made two free throws for a 78-64 benefit with 4:22 left.
Tennessee crept again inside eight however Denzel Aberdeen’s layup and Martin’s dunk off Haugh’s lob with 33.3 seconds left sealed it.
Richard scored 11 first-half factors because the Gators led 39-30 on the break. Gainey scored 10 within the half for Tennessee.
A jumper by Gainey tied the rating at 16 with 11:30 left within the first half earlier than the Gators scored 9 of the following 10 factors as a part of a 16-4 burst.
Richard knocked down a trey to cap the surge and 5 Florida a 32-20 benefit with 5:11 remaining. Aberdeen buried a trey with one second left to present the Gators the nine-point halftime cushion.
–Area Degree Media