University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
17-4, 4-3
Florida
14-4, 4-3
Florida Downs Vols 81-67
January 30, 2001 | Men's Basketball
| Vincent Yarbrough became Tennessee's 35th player to reach 1,000 points in Tuesday's game at Florida. |
Matt Bonner had 21 points to lead the Gators (14-4, 4-3 SEC), but the hero of their third straight victory was Dupay, who scored eight late, critical points in his first game back since undergoing back surgery Jan. 10. He was supposed to be out 4-to-6 weeks.
Ron Slay scored 18 points to lead the Volunteers (17-4, 4-3).
Slay hit two shots during a 10-0 Tennessee run that tied the score at 53 with 7:30 left.
That's when Dupay took over, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws during a 12-6 run to give Florida a lead it never relinquished.
"It gets pretty windy when you're up at the top of the flagpole, and we've been up there for about three years now," Green said. "Everyplace we go, the building is full and teams are ready for us. A win on the road in the SEC is golden, and we've had a couple of losses."
Brent Wright, playing his third game since returning from surgery on his foot, also chipped in with a 12-footer that gave Florida a 67-59 lead.
Tennessee answered with four straight points, but Bonner came back with a 3-pointer and Wright followed with a layup to give the Gators a nine-point lead and send the jam-packed O'Connell Center into delirium
Dupay finished with 10 points and two assists in 15 minutes. As much as his flurry of points helped out late, his surprise return seemed to spark the Gators early.
As recently as last Friday, coach Billy Donovan said Dupay wouldn't return until at least mid-February, and when he came off the bench, the crowd erupted with cheers of ``Ted-dy, Ted-dy, Ted-dy.''
Isiah Victor scored 12 points and Vincent Yarbrough had 11 for the Volunteers, whose last lead came late in the first half when Tony Harris hit a 14-foot jumper for a 32-30 advantage.
Udonis Haslem scored nine of Florida's first 11 points and finished with 17 points before fouling out, as the Gators climbed out of a hole they dug earlier this month when the injuries hit and they lost two straight in the O'Connell Center.
