No. 19 Gators Upset No. 10 Vanderbilt Behind Xaivian Lee, Rueben Chinyelu

The Gators came to play in their greatest challenge in SEC play thus far, putting a three-game winning streak on the line Saturday.

No. 19 Florida (13-5, 4-1 SEC) topped the No. 10 Vanderbilt Commodores (16-2, 3-2 SEC)  thanks to its physicality in the paint and strong performances from its upperclassmen for a 98-94 victory.

Gators senior Xaivian Lee tuned out the noise and knocked down a step-back 3 with just 43 seconds remaining to take the lead for good. The game-winning dagger gave Lee at a game-high 20 points.

The last meeting between the Gators and a top-10 ranked Commodores team came in 1974, when Florida won 80-77 in Gainesville. 

The Commodores entered Saturday fresh off their first loss of the season. The Longhorns came out on top 80-64 in Austin, Texas, to snap Vanderbilt’s undefeated streak on Jan. 14. Now, Mark Byington’s squad has dropped a pair after Saturday’s defeat.

Leading the charge for Gators coach Todd Golden was junior Rueben Chinyelu, who recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds in his 10th double-double of the season. His 19-point, 12-rebound performance against Oklahoma was just three days removed from his dominant outing against Tennessee. Chinyelu reeled in 16 boards and 17 points against the Volunteers on Jan. 10. 

The Nigeria native kept the Gators in the tight contest down the stretch. His signature left shoulder jump hook has become automatic, and he has emerged as a star inside on both sides of the ball. He and the rest of the frontcourt limited the Commodores to just four points in the paint halfway through the first half. 

Alongside Chinyelu, Alex Condon tallied 12 points in the opening frame, playing a major role in the first half. He finished with 16 points and eight boards. The 6-foot-11 forward averaged 14 points in SEC play ahead of Saturday’s matchup. He played the final 10 minutes with four fouls.

Five of nine Florida players scored more than 14 points. Among them were junior Thomas Haugh and Lee. They were each extremely efficient from the floor. Haugh sported a shooting rate of 54.5%, while Lee shot 61.5%.

Joining the two upperclassmen on the scoresheet was sophomore Isaiah Brown with 14 points on his 20th birthday.

Golden notched his fourth road victory against teams ranked in the top 10. Florida had only picked up five others in the category prior to the fourth-year coach’s debut in Gainesville.

Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Men's Basketball