No. 1, Tennessee loses first game, falls to No. 8 in Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Alijah Martin scored 18 points, Denzel Aberdeen added 16 and No. 8 Florida beat top-ranked Tennessee 73-43 on Tuesday night to knock off the last undefeated team in men’s Division I basketball.

Alex Condon chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season as the Gators (14-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) beat a No. 1 team for the third time in school history — the first of six attempts at home — and extended their home winning streak to 16.

Florida, a 2½-point favorite according to the BetMGM sportsbook, dominated from the opening tip. The Gators scored the first 12 points as the Volunteers (14-1, 1-1) missed their first nine shots.

The Vols made four shots in the first 20 minutes and trailed by 36 points in front of 11,011 fans.

“Tonight we played with great physical and mental toughness,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “All eight guys that played answered the bell and obviously we guarded incredibly well tonight. … It’s a great result for us.”

Chaz Lanier, who played four seasons at North Florida before signing with Tennessee, scored 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting for the Vols.

“This could be good for us,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said after the loss. “We learn from it.”

One of the best defensive teams in the nation, the Vols were solid on that end of the court. Almost every basket Florida made was contested. The offensive end, however, was a different story.

Aberdeen and Will Richard hit back-to-back 3s for Florida midway through the first half, turning a six-point lead into a 13-point advantage and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

The Gators messed up one thing: They sold college tickets to the public as part of a three-game holiday package. Police had to escort dozens of angry students out of their usual seats at the courtyard before they were dismissed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.