The Gators couldn’t secure a double-bye in the SEC Tournament, as they concluded the regular season with a frustrating 65-54 loss at Tennessee. Florida beat the Vols back in January in Gainesville, but this time, it didn’t have star guard Tre Mann at its disposal. He missed the game with migraines, and without him, UF’s offense floundered in the second half.
Despite leading 31-17 at one point in the first period, the Gators (13-8, 9-7 SEC) were outscored 37-21 in the second half. Tennessee (17-7, 10-7 SEC) secured the No. 4 seed in the SEC Tournament, while UF will have to play on Thursday against the winner of the play-in game.
After winning back-to-back road games against Auburn and Kentucky, the Gators end the regular season on a low note with two-straight losses, and now the conference tournament is even more important if they hope to avoid a top seed early in the NCAA Tournament.
With the 2020-21 regular season in the books, here are our three takeaways from Florida’s final game.