The third time turned out to be the charm for Billy Donovan.
After defeating Vanderbilt on Feb. 18 to earn his 499th career win, Donovan has been on the hunt for win No. 500.
But two straight road losses to LSU (70-63) and Missouri (64-52) have kept Donovan on the pedestal of the milestone.
That changed Saturday when Florida hosted Tennessee.
The Gators, losers of six of their last seven, showed they would not go down without a fight.
And when it was all said and done, Donovan and Florida finished off Tennessee 66-49 to give Donovan his 500th career win.
“I’ve been a part of at least a lot of unbelievable experiences in that building,” Donovan said. “For me, personally, it was very, very meaningful.”
Chants of “Billy D. Billy D. Billy D” echoed from the 11,970 people who filled the O’Connell Center as the clock dwindled to all zeros.
Donovan’s 17 players huddled around him following the game, congratulating him on the latest in his long line of achievements from his 21-year coaching career.
“I thought there was a great crowd tonight,” Donovan said. “Obviously our team has struggled this year. For the amount of people to come out like they did to watch our team play, I was very, very appreciative and very thankful for that.”
Florida (14-15, 7-9 Southeastern Conference) had one of its best offensive nights of the season, shooting 57.1-percent from the field against Tennessee (14-14, 6-10 SEC).
The Gators, sparked by a 10-3 run to open the game, entered halftime with a 40-22 lead and never looked back.
Dorian Finney-Smith — playing in his first game since being suspended for a violation of team rules — posted his second double-double of the season, posting a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
“I just wanted to come out here and play with a lot of energy,” Finney-Smith said. “I owed it to these guys to come out and have a good game.”
Finney-Smith was one of three UF players with a double-digit scoring effort, joined by Eli Carter (11) and Jon Horford (10).
In the end, the Gators played to win — and for Donovan.
“It’s a testament to him and his ability to get people to work and play together and have success,” Horford said.
Added senior Jacob Kurtz: “Coach means a lot to everyone. We’re just thankful we were able to get it done for him.”
But for Donovan, it’s just another win in the books.
“Sometimes when you get into this, you never know how long you’re going to be into it or if you’re fortunate enough to be into it,” Donovan said. “I started when I was relatively young, and I still really enjoy doing this. I really do.”
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Billy Donovan waves to the O'Connell Center crowd following Florida's 66-49 win against Tennessee on Feb. 28.
