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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- It doesn't matter how good a team
Florida brings into Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt always seems to have
the Gators' number.
Dan Langhi scored 18 of his 31 points in the first half as
Vanderbilt grabbed the lead early and upset No. 6 Florida 87-77
Wednesday night in the Southeastern Conference opener for both
teams.
|  | | Florida's Brett Nelson puts a shot up as Vanderbilt's Atiba Prater defends. |
Florida (11-2) came in with a nine-game winning streak and had
been beating opponents by an average of 30 points. The Gators
hadn't given up more than 77 points in a game this season.
But Vanderbilt (10-1), which had lost to Florida at home only
once in the 1990s, beat the Gators from beyond the arc.
Vandy shot a season-high 65 percent from 3-point range, going
15-of-23 despite having played only one game over the previous two
weeks. Florida was only 8-of-25 on 3s. Sam Howard nearly beat the
Gators by himself, hitting a career-high 7 3s on eight attempts and
tying his career high with 22 points.
Langhi was 6-of-9 on 3-pointers.
Florida coach Billy Donovan said his Gators were totally
outplayed by Vanderbilt.
"This is one of the toughest environments in the Southeastern
Conference," said Donovan, who has never won in Nashville as a
head coach.
"I've always felt that when you come in to play Vanderbilt
you've got to take away the 3-pointer early, or they can get on a
roll. We knew coming in that we had to guard the 3-point line. We
didn't do that, and we let them get going," he said. "That
momentum carried them throughout the game."
The victory gave first-year Vandy coach Kevin Stallings his
first SEC victory, which he said beat the alternative. He also
pointed out that Florida center Donnell Harvey, who had missed
three practices during the holiday break due to a family illness,
played only one minute. Harvey had been averaging 12.4 points a
game.
"We just were very fortunate. There's not very many games where
you're going to make 15 3s," Stallings said.
For Langhi, who also had a team-high six rebounds, Vandy's first
upset of a ranked opponent since beating then-No. 19 Florida last
February provides an answer to critics who thought the Commodores'
non-conference schedule was weak.
"It gives you confidence. ... It shows that we can play with
them," Langhi said.
The Commodores used an 8-0 run to take a 16-8 lead at 15:19 on a
basket by Sam Lekwauwa and the Gators never got closer than four
points the rest of the way. Vandy led 41-33 at halftime and built
its lead to as much as 18, the last time at 81-63 on a basket by
James Strong with 5 1/2 minutes to go.
Vandy got Florida's leading scorer Kenyan Weaks into foul
trouble in the first half. He sat down with 3:12 to go with two
fouls and just three points. He got his third with 17:37 left in
the game and finished with a season-low five points, well below his
average of 14.8 per game.
It was only the second time this season that Weaks had been held
below double digits. The Gators also lost that game, Nov. 23 to
Purdue.
Donovan said he sat Weaks down in the first half trying to keep
him out of foul trouble. It didn't help.
"He just didn't play well," he said.
Mike Miller led Florida with 18 points, while Udonis Haslem
added 16 and Teddy Dupay 10.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Florida Clubhouse
Vanderbilt Clubhouse
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