By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS
AP Sports Writer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Matt Walsh scored 23 points and David Lee added 21 as Florida pulled away late in an 84-73 victory over Tennessee on Saturday.
The Gators (15-6, 7-3 Southeastern Conference) trailed by three early in the second half when Lee hit a basket and Walsh followed with a three-point play to give Florida a 54-52 lead with 12:37 left.
Tennessee (11-13, 4-7) tied it at 60 on C.J. Watson's 3 and went ahead 65-64 after Major Wingate converted a three-point play with 7:42 remaining. But Anthony Roberson scored and Lee sank a pair of free throws to put Florida back up by three. This time, the Vols couldn't rally.
Walsh and Lee combined to score the next 11 points for Florida as the Gators pulled away.
Roberson finished with 16 points, Lee added 12 rebounds and Corey Brewer had 10 rebounds for Florida, which avenged an 83-76 loss in overtime to the Vols on Jan. 19 in Gainesville and won for the first time in Knoxville since 2002.
Brandon Crump, who was 7-of-9 from the field, finished with 16 points for Tennessee. Watson added 15 and Scooter McFadgon had 10. The Vols lost despite shooting 50 percent (28-of-56) from the floor for the game, partly because they were outrebounded 39-28.
Tennessee used a 12-2 run at the beginning of the second half to take a 50-47 lead. McFadgon scored six points during the spurt.
Florida led by as many as six in the first half as Tennessee went 4½ minutes without a field goal. The Gators were up 41-36 at halftime.
