Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes (5) battles for a rebound with Florida forward Chris Walker (23) and Florida guard Will Yeguete in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, in Knoxville.KNOXVILLE – Scottie Wilbekin had 21 points and six assists, and No. 3 Florida stepped up its defense in the second half to outlast Tennessee 67-58 Tuesday night for its 16th consecutive victory.
Michael Frazier II added 11 points to help the Gators (22-2, 11-0 SEC) beat Tennessee in Knoxville for just the second time in their last nine attempts. Frazier and Wilbekin both made key 3-pointers down the stretch to put the game out of reach.
Jarnell Stokes had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Tennessee (15-9, 6-5), which was seeking a victory over a highly ranked opponent to boost its NCAA tournament hopes. Jordan McRae had 17 points and Josh Richardson 13.
After shooting 62.5 percent (15 of 24) in the first half, the Volunteers made only 28.6 percent (6 of 21) of their shots after halftime.
When the teams last met, Florida routed Tennessee 67-41 in Gainesville on Jan. 25 to hand the Volunteers their most lopsided loss in Cuonzo Martin’s three-year coaching tenure. Tennessee shot 26.8 percent (15 of 56) overall and 1 of 19 from 3-point range in that game.