By ALEJANDRO LOPEZ
Being without two starters wasn’t a problem for No. 8 Tennessee.
Despite playing without senior point guard Zakai Zeigler knee) and senior forward Igor Milicic Jr., the No. 8 Volunteers dismantled No. 5 Florida 64-44 at Tennessee.
Zeigler had started 51 straight games for Tennessee before the injury but it did not impact the Volunteers much as they held the Gators to 24% shooting.
The Volunteers played only seven scholarship players. Chaz Lanier led the way with 19 points and 5 rebounds, while Jordan Gainey added 16 points.
It was a beautiful second half of basketball from Chaz Lanier.
— John Sartori (@JohnSartoriTV) February 1, 2025
No. 2 scores 13 after the break, finishing with a game-high 19 points. #Vols pic.twitter.com/xfPj5ZmHn7
“We knew it was going to be a tough battle coming in,” Lanier told reporters. “I’m just super proud of my team for battling all 40 minutes.”
Tennesee was coming off back-to-back losses to AP-ranked opponents including No. 1 ranked Auburn.
The Volunteers’ path through the SEC will continue Wednesday night as they face off against No. 20 Missouri.
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