NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Florida Gators knew exactly what to expect from their rematch against Vanderbilt in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinal round.
The Commodores, with the No. 8 offense in the country, boasted excellent shooters and creative playmakers who moved the ball and played with great pace. The Gators, with the nation’s No. 4 defense, saw as much in their victorious first meeting nearly two months ago two miles up Broadway when both teams performed magnificently in a high-end game played into the 90s.
Vandy was that same team Saturday.
Florida was not.
Far from it, in fact.
All-SEC point guard Tyler Tanner scored 20 points, dished eight assists and had three steals to lead the fourth-seeded Commodores to a one-sided 91-74 punishing of the top-seeded Gators in front of a Music City-friendly crowd at Bridgestone Arena. Tanner was one of five Vandy players in double-figure scoring, playmaking his team to 54.5% shooting, including 10-for-21 from the 3-point line, and doing his part to fluster and frustrate Florida on the offensive end.
“Credit to Vandy,” UF coach Todd Golden said. “They played great.”
Conversely, the Gators (26-7), with their 12-game winning streak snapped and just their second loss since the first week in January, played poorly on both ends of the floor. While they ended up shooting 45.6% for the game, that hit just 36.7% in the first half and committed nine turnovers the Commodores (26-7) converted into 20 points on the way to a 47-34 lead at the break.
UF got no closer than 13 the rest of the way and trailed by as many as 25 – the team’s largest deficit of the season by nine points – with eight minutes to go.
Not exactly an ideal way to bow out on the eve of NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday, but that’s where the Gators will find themselves as they tune in Sunday to see if their most lopsided loss of the season cost them a No. 1 seed in the big tourney.
“It’s not the worst thing in the world to have a little wake-up call this time of year,” UF forward Alex Condon said. “I know everyone’s going to be super-motivated this week in practice not to let this affect our [NCAA] performance.”
Florida guard Isaiah Brown (left) on defense against Vandy’s AK Okereke Saturday.
On the meeting and practice agenda, no doubt, will be addressing the carelessness with which the Gators played with the basketball – not just Saturday, either, but also in Friday’s quarterfinal win over Kentucky – and their ill-timed dry spell from the 3-point line. UF, which came to town riding an 11-game winning streak when it had shot 37.9% from the arc, clanged to a collective eight of 37 in the two games (21.6%) and turned the ball over 32 times leading to 42 opponent points.
And despite a dominant 38-23 margin on the glass Saturday (with 20 offensive rebounds, but only 14 second-chance points), the Gators were the second-most physical team on the floor.
That was not the case when they went to Vandy on Jan. 17 and won 98-94.
“We didn’t play great,” Golden said. “Obviously the turnovers and the physicality that they played with bothered us. We usually do that to other teams.”
Florida led 14-12 seven minutes in when Vandy took off for 11 unanswered points over five minutes. Guard Duke Myles (15 points, 7 assists, 3 steals) was fouled by Urban Klavzar attempting a 3-pointer and made all three free throws. Two possessions later, UF center Micah Handlogten fouled Myles on another 3-pointer, this one a make, and he Myles the free-throw for a four-point play.
Three minutes later, the lead was double figures. The rout was on. And stayed on.
“They have a great offensive team,” said All-SEC first-team forward Thomas Haugh, who led the Gators with 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists. “All of them are pretty skilled. They shoot quick. They might not be the tallest team, but they are all just hoopers.”
Nothing came easy on offense for Thomas Haugh (10) and the Gators.
Florida’s defensive plan was to limit the number of 3s attempted by Tanner, Myles and sharp-shooting forward Tyler Nickel. Each finished with just one make, which was good. But the Commodores’ front court, including a pair of sub-30% shooters, combined to make seven of 12, including one from forward Jalen Washington (17 points, 4 rebounds), who came in at 22% from deep on the season.
“You got to give them something,” Golden said. “When Jalen Washington is throwing them in, it’s one of those days. Credit to them.”
Three times this season, a Florida opponent reached 90 points. The Commodores did it twice.
Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington said his team was geared up for this one.
“From start to finish, we came out with incredible intensity,” said Byington, who Sunday will play for the program’s first SEC Tournament championship since 2012. “We knew we had to play well. I think Florida was the hottest team in the country.”
Not anymore.
Now, it’s time for the Gators to reset.
“We try to be very consistent with our program. We’re not going to be reactive in regards to when we’re winning that we don’t practice hard and we kind of go with the flow,” Golden said. “Part of what makes our program what it is is our consistency. We are not going to change a lot. We are going to get back to defending, rebounding, taking care of the ball.”
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.