KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Rocky Top was rocking Saturday night, and Volunteers fans have Tyler Smith to thank.
The Tennessee junior forward was all over the court in the first half against UF, knocking down three 3-pointers and slamming home a mammoth alley-oop dunk with 5:25 left in the half.
As soon as Smith's feet touched the ground after the dunk, he posed for the home crowd, hands on his hips, triumphant. The fans ate it up.
"The crowd has been there for us through the losses," Smith said. "We just wanted to pay them back for coming out and giving us some support."
The sharpshooter finished the half with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Two of Smith's first-half 3-pointers came immediately on the heels of long-range baskets from the Gators, effectively silencing what could have become UF rallies.
After the game, UF players were keenly aware of Smith's impact on the game.
"Tyler Smith, he's a warrior," said UF forward Chandler Parsons, who matched up against Smith for much of the game. "He's one of the toughest players that I've played against."
Smith began the Volunteers' scoring with a 3-pointer from the left side immediately after UF guard Nick Calathes missed a layup following the opening tip. That shot from downtown brought the fans to their feet, and few would sit down the rest of the evening. The momentum belonged to the players in orange and white from that point forward.
Calathes said Smith's shooting efficiency caught the Gators off guard. Smith had made just 10 of 40 threes all season coming into the game.
"He made his threes tonight, which we didn't think he would make them," Calathes said. "We weren't expecting those."
That he was underestimated by UF didn't shock Smith at all.
"The percentages aren't showing how hard I've been working," he said.
Smith had been slumping lately, but Saturday night's effort reinforced his coach's belief in him.
"Tyler Smith can shoot the ball," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. "He shot with confidence. You have to deserve victory, and you have to believe as a shooter that the shot deserves to go in."
Smith quieted down a bit in the second half but left Thompson-Boling Arena after he scored 16 points, tied for a team high in rebounds with nine and dished out four assists.
He hit three free throws down the stretch to end any thoughts of a UF comeback, and Parsons fouled out while landing on him when Smith got a rebound. Parsons, exasperated with the night's performance, put his arms in the air as if to say, "What more can I do?"
While Parsons trudged off the court, Smith stood still and played to the crowd by waving his arms in the air.
The game fittingly ended with the ball in Smith's hands. As the clock wound down, he dribbled the last seconds away. As the buzzer sounded, he ceremoniously dunked the ball, putting a cap on the Volunteers' huge victory.
Smith said he wanted to dunk the ball before time expired.
"I wanted the 2 points," Smith said with a laugh. "But Coach said no, we couldn't shoot. So I let the time expire so I wouldn't be in trouble."
