NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kenny Boynton scored 17 points, all three of Florida’s seniors reached double figures and the 14th-ranked Gators clinched the Southeastern Conference regular-season title with an 86-76 victory over No. 21 Vanderbilt on Saturday night.
Florida (24-6, 13-3) set a school record for conference wins and earned its third outright SEC title — its first since 2007.
In coach Billy Donovan’s 500th game with the Gators, Florida pulled away after a technical foul on Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings midway through the second half. That wiped out a potential tie for the Commodores (21-9, 9-7) and gave the Gators a six-point swing.
The loss knocked Vanderbilt out of position for a first-round bye in next week’s SEC tournament. The Commodores must now hope that No. 20 Kentucky beats Tennessee on Sunday to help them remain the Eastern Division’s No. 3 seed.
John Jenkins led Vanderbilt with 22 points.
