Tennessee basketball suffered its first loss of the season on Tuesday. The road trip to Gainsville didn't end the same as the previous 14 games, as Tennessee lost 73-43 to Florida in the Vols' third true road game of the season.
This game had been Tennessee's most formidable challenge of the season thus far and the first road test of conference play for Tennessee. It proved to be too much for the Vols as they got a taste of their own medicine in the loss.
It was a very similar game to Tennessee's win over Arkansas, except Tennessee was on the receiving end of the defensive and rebounding dominance.
Florida dominated around the rim. They made whatever they wanted in the paint and rebounded like they were prime Wilt Chamberlain. The Gators' 19 offensive rebounds gave them numerous opportunities for second—and third-chance points, which was a game-changer early in the contest.
Tennessee's offense couldn't buy a made shot throughout the game. The Vols only made four shots in the first half, and 12 made shots the entire game. It was a struggle all around for Tennessee on Tuesday, and it just goes to show how difficult it's going to be to win on the road in the SEC this year.
Budding superstar Chaz Lanier was the complete opposite of himself we last saw against Arkansas. He struggled, shooting from everywhere. He did make the first three-point shot of the game for the Vols one minute into the second half, but he wasn't impressive beyond that. Prior to that, Tennessee was 0-for-14 from three-point range.
Florida has the potential to win the SEC and make a Final Four run, so they're no slouch. Tennessee will have another shot at Florida in a few weeks at home.
Tennessee will need to respond fast after this wakeup call, as its next matchup is another SEC road test. The Vols will take on the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, with tip-off scheduled for 6 PM ET.