Florida basketball has advanced in the SEC tournament.
The Gators are set to face Vanderbilt in the semifinals. This marks the third straight UF has reached the semis in the conference tournament.
Vanderbilt (25-7) defeated Tennessee 75-68 in the quarterfinals, and the Gators (26-6) took down Kentucky 71-63.
“I think that’s a good battle for us to get into,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “I thought we did a great job the first, let’s say, 27 minutes of the game just dictating everything that way.
“But just started not doing a good enough job taking care of the ball. I thought once they got behind, the last 10 or so minutes, we were kind of playing not to lose, and they were playing free with no pressure because there was none left at that point. We have to do a better job managing those situations if we’re fortunate enough to be in them moving forward.”
The Gators defeated Vanderbilt 98-94 on the road back on Jan. 17. In the win against the then-top 10 Commodores, UF had five players score 14 or more points. Rueben Chinyelu and Xaivian Lee each recorded 20 points, with Lee hitting a go-ahead 3-pointer. Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner scored 20 points in the loss to the Gators.
Streaming: ESPN app or Fubo
Channel: ESPN
Florida vs Vanderbilt will be televised on ESPN and can be streamed via the ESPN app or Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers. Jimmy Dykes and Dick Vitale will be on the call, while Alyssa Lang will report on the sidelines at Bridgestone Arena.
Date: Saturday, March 14
Time: 1 p.m. E.T.
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at AAbadie@usatodayco.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.
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