By ALEJANDRO LOPEZ
Being without two starters wasn’t a problem for No. 8 Tennessee.
Despite playing without senior point guard Zakai Zeigler knee) and senior forward Igor Milicic Jr., the No. 8 Volunteers dismantled No. 5 Florida 64-44 at Tennessee.
Zeigler had started 51 straight games for Tennessee before the injury but it did not impact the Volunteers much as they held the Gators to 24% shooting.
The Volunteers played only seven scholarship players. Chaz Lanier led the way with 19 points and 5 rebounds, while Jordan Gainey added 16 points.
“We knew it was going to be a tough battle coming in,” Lanier told reporters. “I’m just super proud of my team for battling all 40 minutes.” Tennesee was coming off back-to-back losses to AP-ranked opponents including No. 1 ranked Auburn. The Volunteers’ path through the SEC will continue Wednesday night as they face off against No. 20 Missouri. Follow Alejandro on Twitter Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on FacebookIt was a beautiful second half of basketball from Chaz Lanier.
— John Sartori (@JohnSartoriTV) February 1, 2025
No. 2 scores 13 after the break, finishing with a game-high 19 points. #Vols pic.twitter.com/xfPj5ZmHn7
