Florida Edges Vanderbilt in High-Scoring SEC Thriller
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Rueben Chinyelu scored 20 points to lead five Florida players in double figures as the Gators outlasted Vanderbilt 98-94 in a Southeastern Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Memorial Gym. A crowd of 14,316 saw the Gators improve to 13-5 overall, while the Commodores fell to 16-2. Florida trailed 45-44 at halftime but used a 54-point second half to secure the road victory. Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner matched Chinyelu with 20 points. The Gators’ Xaivian Lee also added 20 points, including a critical 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining to tie the game before Florida closed it out at the free-throw line. The teams combined for 192 points, far exceeding the pregame over/under line of 160.5.