ATLANTA — Patric Young scored 16 points and No. 1 Florida turned up the defensive pressure in the second half, rallying for a 56-49 victory over Tennessee in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament Saturday.
Florida (31-2) extended its school-record winning streak to 25 in a row after trailing by 10 in the first half. The Gators were down 35-28 at the break, but they wore down the Volunteers (21-12) over the final 20 minutes. After shooting 54 percent in the opening period, Tennessee made just 5-of-20 shots and turned the ball over 11 times, leaving its fate in the hands of the NCAA selection committee.
The Gators, improving to 20-0 against SEC opponents, will face Kentucky or Georgia in the championship game Sunday.
Florida's Scottie Wilbekin added 14 points and Casey Prather had 12.
Jordan McRae led Tennessee with 15 points, while Jarnell Stokes had 13 points and eight rebounds.