Comeback Falls Short As Gators Fall To Volunteers 63-58

Florida Gators head coach Mike White during the second half as the Gators fall to the Michigan State Spartans / Gator Country photo by David BowieProne to crippling droughts for most of the season, the Gators had their nasty habit rear its ugly head once again as a near 11 minute stretch without a field goal put them in a hole too deep to climb out of on their way to a 63-58 defeat at the hands of the Tennessee Volunteers. When the Gators went cold the Vols were able to stretch their lead as large as 19 points, not as large as the two 20+ point leads the Gators have come back from in the past, but enough to sink Florida on this day. The Gators did punch back with all their might after falling behind, bringing the game as close as a single point with under three minutes remaining but a miracle three-pointer at the end of a shot clock by John Fulkerson (the senior big man’s first made three of his career) stretched Tennessee’s lead to a point Florida couldn’t come back. This game was another example of Florida going through a terrible stretch of basketball that allows their opponent to accumulate a big lead and although they have shown they have the ability to claw back, there are games like this one against the Volunteers where a big lead is too much to overcome. This loss won’t ding the Gators’ NCAA Tournament hopes too badly as it was a close loss on the road but it was an opportunity for them to really boost their resume that was wasted. The Gators now prepare for a road game against Georgia, a team that gave them some difficulty in the first matchup.

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