Vols Take Bite Out Of Gators Holdsclaw Leads Way With 37 Points As Tennessee Avenges Loss Of A Year Ago

Chamique Holdsclaw scored 37 points Saturday to lead No. 1 Tennessee to a 99-60 victory over No. 12 Florida.

The Volunteers (17-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) held Florida to 18 first-half points to avenge last year’s loss to the Gators (11-4, 3-1).

The Volunteers, who shot 53 percent from the field, also got 14 points from Semeka Randall and 10 from Kellie Jolly.

Florida was led by Tiffany Travis with 18 points and Murriel Page with 15.

The Gators took a 6-2 lead early on two 3-pointers by Talatha Bingham, and stayed close for the first 10 minutes.

But a 21-2 run by the Vols - keyed by Holdsclaw - turned the game in Tennessee’s favor. A 3-point play by Tamika Catchings gave Tennessee a 33-12 advantage at 7:05.

Florida committed 18 turnovers and shot just 25 percent from the field in the first half. A 24-2 surge by the Volunteers, who shot 61 percent from the field in the first half, gave Tennessee a 57-18 halftime lead.

In the second half, Holdsclaw converted two three-point plays and scored 14 points in the first nine minutes.

Florida couldn’t keep pace and fell behind by as much as 47 points, 82-35 at 9:48.