Maybe the third time will be a charm for Tennessee.
The Volunteers will get their third shot of the season at Florida in the SEC tournament semifinals Saturday after not faring well in the two meetings during the regular season. The Gators won by 26 on Jan. 25 in Gainesville (67-41) and by nine Feb. 11 in Knoxville (67-58).
But anybody who has seen Tennessee play the past two weeks will tell you Florida will encounter a different team Saturday than it did a month ago. After Friday’s 59-44 win over South Carolina, the Vols (21-11) have won five games in a row, their past four by an average of 27 points.
So Tennessee (21-11) feels like it is ready for the No. 1-ranked and undefeated Gators (30-2).
“We didn’t come to Atlanta just to win one in the tournament,” coach Cuonzo Martin said. “We came to win the tournament.”
Tennessee lost six times during the stretch in which it lost twice to the Gators. So what’s difference now?
“Guys are trusting each other, and guys are playing together on the defensive end,” said junior forward Jarnell Stokes, who led the Vols with 22 points and 15 rebounds Friday. “We’re not having many breakdowns on the defensive end, especially in the first five minutes of each half. We’re able to get a big lead in the beginning of games.
“When teams make their runs, we know how to collectively come back together, get some stops and take good shots.”
That was Tennessee’s winning formula Friday. The Vols scored six consecutive points out of the gate and shot to a 12-2 lead. South Carolina rallied to get within four with 5:58 remaining in the first half, but never got closer. Tennessee led by 18 midway through the second half, and South Carolina never seriously threatened.
“If you had asked me coming in, which team would you rather not play in the tournament, I would have have said Tennessee,” South Carolina coach Frank Martin said. Asked about the Vols’ chances, he added, “It’s going to be an, interesting, interesting one to watch.”
Guard Jordan McRae added 14 points as the Vols shot 48.8 percent for the game. They were only 2-of-9 (22.2 percent) from 3-point range.
“I didn’t think we played particularly good offensively,” Stokes said. “Our defense carried the load. … Defensively we’re forcing teams to take terrible shots, and we’re getting rebounds.”
South Carolina shot 27 percent from the field and 25 percent from 3-point range. With a surprising three-game run in the SEC tournament, the Gamecocks end the season at 14-20 overall.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our guys,” Martin said. “A month ago we stepped on the floor against Tennessee, and it was a mismatch. Today we fought.”
