Florida will try to extend its winning streak to a season-high six games as it hosts Southeastern Conference rival Tennessee on Saturday.
The 14th-ranked Gators (10-2, 1-0) are coming of a 65-62 victory at South Carolina on Wednesday for their second five-game win streak of the season. They won 14 straight during one stretch last season.
Despite the win, Florida coach Billy Donovan didn't see what he wanted in the SEC opener.
"I just thought our guys in a lot of areas were a step slow, a step late," Donovan said. "Maybe it's just South Carolina's that much quicker than us, I don't know. But I wasn't totally happy with the way we played."
The Gators shot 24-of-56 from the field, marking the first time in four games they were below 50 percent. They committed 12 first-half turnovers, three more than South Carolina had the entire game, and leading scorer Anthony Roberson was barely a factor, finishing with five points on 1-of-5 shooting.
"We really had a difficult time dealing with them," Roberson said.
David Lee remained hot for the Gators, scoring 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Since going 1-for-12 from the field and finishing with nine points against Maryland on Dec. 10, Lee has averaged 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in the last six games. He is shooting nearly 83 percent (29-for-35) in the last four games, and had three double-doubles in his last six.
"I try and stay humble and just stay focused," Lee said. "You never know when a Maryland game is going to happen."
Despite his struggles against South Carolina, Roberson is shooting 49 percent (25-for-51) from the floor, 46.9 percent (15-for-32) from 3-point range, and 92.9 percent (13-for-14) on free throws in the last five games.
Tennessee (9-1, 1-0) opened SEC play with an 89-65 win over Georgia on Wednesday. Scooter McFadgon scored 31 points, Brandon Crump added 14 and Jemere Hendrix had 12 for Tennessee, which was 12-of-19 from beyond the arc and shot 57 percent from the floor.
C.J. Watson added nine points, eight rebounds and nine assists as the Vols won their sixth straight.
McFadgon leads Tennesse in scoring at 19.8 points per game, followed by Crump at 16.1. Watson adds 11.6 points and 6.7 assists.
The Vols have not won seven straight since the 2000-01 season.
Tennessee leads the all-time series 59-45, though Florida has won 28 of 48 at home. The teams split two meetings last season, with the home team winning each time.
