No. 1 Vols stop Gators for 18th straight win

KNOXVILLE, TENN. — Tennessee’s players resisted the temptation of staging a repeat performance of a postgame “Gator chomp” after their latest victory over Florida.

The sellout crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena did it instead.

Grant Williams scored 16 points as the top-ranked Volunteers defeated Florida 73-61 on Saturday to extend their school-record winning streak to 18 games.

Tennessee (22-1, 10-0 SEC) owns the longest active winning streak of any Division I team. This also marks the biggest winning streak of Rick Barnes’ 32-year head coaching career, surpassing the 17-game string that started Texas’ 2009-10 season.

“I appreciate how hard they’ve competed,” Barnes said. “I appreciate the fact they do want to get better, and we can get better. I think they believe, like our coaching staff, that our best basketball’s ahead of us. It’s not going to be easy, but they’re competitive. Where we are, they deserve the credit.”

Tennessee’s winning streak includes a 78-67 victory at Florida on Jan. 12. Immediately after that game ended, all five Tennessee players on the floor performed a “Gator chomp” in a mock version of the cheer favored by Florida fans. Tennessee’s Admiral Schofield said at the time the Vols were responding to “disrespectful” and “inhumane” comments Florida fans had made during the game.

This time, Tennessee’s players had a more muted celebration, but fans started doing the Gator chomp in the final minute and continued it as the final horn sounded.

“Poetic justice,” said Schofield, one of four Tennessee players to score in double figures. “At the same time, it’s all in good fun. A deep rivalry, but many years of tough, hard-fought football games, tough basketball games.”

Florida (12-11, 4-6) lost its third straight and fourth in its past five games.

“They’re the best team in the country,” Florida coach Michael White said. “They’re equally as good defensively as they are offensively.”

Schofield scored 14 points, Jordan Bowden had 13 and Jordan Bone added 10 for Tennessee. Noah Locke scored 17, Jalen Hudson had 15 and KeVaughn Allen added 11 for Florida.

Tennessee led by as many as 16 late in the first half before Florida rallied to get within 36-30 at the intermission.

Florida cut Tennessee’s lead to 40-36 with 17:37 left, but Tennessee answered with a 12-2 run that included consecutive 3-pointers from Lamonte’ Turner. After Florida scored seven straight points to get the margin down to seven, Tennessee responded with a 9-0 run that featured another Turner 3-pointer plus two dunks from Schofield.

Schofield said after the game the Vols responded to the way Barnes had challenged them.

“Winning isn’t what it’s about,” Schofield said. “That’s not why we got into the game of basketball. Competing is why we got into the game of basketball. That’s what we love about basketball.”