Tennessee’s Jordan McRae was too much for No. 8 Florida to handle on Tuesday night.
McRae scored a game-high 27 points on 9-of-20 shooting as the shorthanded Gators (22-5, 12-3 Southeastern Conference) fell to the Volunteers (17-10, 9-6 SEC) 64-58 in Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.
The junior guard’s 27 points are the most the Gators have allowed an opposing player to score this year.
UF trailed 58-52 with 3:34 remaining and had multiple opportunities to rally back.
After guard Mike Rosario missed a three-pointer with 2:54 left, guard Scottie Wilbekin cut the Vols’ lead to 58-54 with a layup. On UF’s next possession, guard Kenny Boynton missed a three from the right wing, giving the ball back to Tennessee.
UT center Jarnell Stokes provided the dagger by making a layup and drawing a foul with 54.5 seconds left. He made the free throw to complete the three-point play and put the Volunteers ahead 61-54.
On the next play, Wilbekin drove down the left lane and found center Patric Young for a dunk to cut Tennessee’s lead to five.
But after a turnover from UT’s Trae Golden, Rosario was called for an offensive foul on a layup attempt with 28.3 seconds left.
“We had some very, very good looks and some drives and some plays and we did not finish plays, didn’t finish shots,” coach Billy Donovan said. “That was a big, big factor in the game.”
The Volunteers then made 3 of 4 free throws to clinch the win.
Rosario led Florida with 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Young added 15 points, while forward Casey Prather chipped in 10.
Prather exited the game with 2:48 remaining after taking a blow to the head from Rosario on a rebound attempt. Donovan said Prather might have a concussion.
Prather has already suffered two concussions this season.
“He may be out,” Donovan said. “Just obviously, it continues on. We’ll have to deal with it.”
Filling in for guard Michael Frazier II (concussion), guard Braxton Ogbueze and forward DeVon Walker did not take any shots.
Florida’s lead in the SEC standings on Alabama shrunk to one game. The Gators play the Crimson Tide on Saturday in the O’Connell Center.
A radio broadcast contributed to this report.
Coach Billy Donovan rubs his eyes during a timeout in Florida’s 71-54 win against Arkansas on Saturday in the O’Connell Center.
