No. 4 Florida thinks No. 8 Tennessee for the title of the Sec tournament | National

Walter Clayton Jr. scored 22 points on Sunday and Tennessee with 86: 77 by Tennessee with 86: 77 in Florida to win the title of the Southastern Conference tournament in Nashville. Will Richard added 17 points when No. 4 Gator (30-4) received the automatic offer of the SEC for the NCAA tournament. Florida is expected to be a No. 1 seed if the bracket will be announced later on Sunday. Alex Condon recorded 13 points and nine rebounds, Thomas Haegh scored 11 points and Alijah Martin had 10 points for the Gators, who won her first Sec tournament title since 2014. Clayton was appointed the MVP as a tournament. “These boys climbed and found a way to get this title in the best conference that College basketball saw in 20 years,” said Todd Golden, head coach of Florida, in the ESPN show. For Tennessee No. 8 (27-7), Jordan Gainey scored the best 24 points that will probably land a seed no. 2 in the NCAA field. Zakai Zeigler added 23 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals for the volunteers who lost to the GATER for the second time this season. The leading goal scorer from Tennessee, Chaz Lanier, scored 11 points at the 4-of-10 shooting before he was 5:29. “I'm really proud of the boys. We just had too many self-inflicted problems today,” said Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes. “We injured ourselves too much. But these (Florida) boys had a lot to do with it.” The Gators shot 42.6 percent from the field, including 9 of 27 from 3-point range. Florida had a 39-25 back advantage. Tennessee made 44.9 percent of his shots and was 8 out of 26 behind the arch. “Nobody drops the bar,” said Golden about the Gators. “You play hard, relax and take care of it (the ball). The vast majority of you make each other better and it gives us the opportunity to take a deep run in March.” Florida led 60-47 shortly before the middle of the second half, when Gaineys brought the volunteers back in the game less than 8-0. Gainey started the sprint with a 3 pointer with 9:48. He drove through the lane for a tire and was fouled and made the free throw 27 seconds later. Gainey then made two free throws with 8:56 to bring Tennessee within 60-55. A short time later, Clayton buried a 3 pointer to create a lead of 65-57 with 8:08. He nailed another trey with 6:49 to bring the Gator again. Felix Okparas Dunk pulled the volunteers within six with 6:30 on the left, but the Gators answered with eight direct points. Hagh scored five times in a row, including a 3 pointer, before Richard achieved two free throws for a 78-64 advantage with 4:22 on the left. Tennessee returned within eight, but Denzel Aberdeens Layup and Martins were praised by Haighs with 33.3 seconds. “We just lost to the best team in America,” said Barnes. “We have lost three possessions and I can give you more than three or four things that we just didn't do what we could have done. The line is so good.” Richard scored 11 points in the first half when the Gators led 39-30 during the break. Gainey scored 10 in half for Tennessee. A sweater from Gainey scored the score at 11:30 in the first half before the Gator scored nine of the next 10 points as part of a 16: 4-toD. Richard put down a trey to end the climb and five Florida a 32-20 advantage with 5:11. Aberdeen buries a trey with a second to give the Gator the nine-point half-time pillow. -Media on the Level field