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Florida looks to get back on track vs. Tennessee

Feb 27, 2007 - 2:34 PM No. 4 Florida (25-4) at Tennessee (20-9) 9:00 pm EST

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- After clinching the Southeastern Conference regular season title, the Florida Gators are suffering from a hangover.

The fourth-ranked Gators look to get back on track when they face Tennessee on Tuesday.

The defending national champion, Florida (24-4, 11-2 SEC East) has dropped two of its last three games after winning 17 in a row. The latest defeat was a 66-56 setback at Louisiana State, which played without star forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Chris Richard scored 12 points and Corey Brewer added 11 for the Gators, who made just 2-of-17 shots from the arc.

However, Florida also went through a rough stretch last season on its way to the national championship. The Gators lost three consecutive games from February 18-26, 2006, and then won 11 consecutive games, including the SEC tournament title and the national championship.

The Gators routed Tennessee, 94-78, on February 3. The loss capped a 2-6 stretch for the Volunteers, who have won five of six games since then.

On Tuesday, Tennessee (20-9, 8-6 SEC East) will look to finish its home schedule undefeated for the first time since 1975-76. The Volunteers are 15-0 on their home floor.

Tennessee posted an 83-72 win over Arkansas last Saturday. Chris Lofton led the way with 31 points.