By: Sean Cartell
Twitter: @SEC_Sean
SEC Digital Network
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DULUTH, Ga. – Top-seeded Tennessee was presented with the Southeastern Conference regular-season trophy prior to Friday’s game at the Arena at Gwinnett Center and the Lady Vols held off a stingy ninth-seeded Florida team for an 82-73 win in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
Tennessee (24-6) advances to face the winner between fourth-seeded Texas A&M and fifth-seeded South Carolina on Saturday. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. ET Saturday and the game will be televised by ESPNU.
Six of the seven Tennessee players who saw action in Friday’s game scored in double-figures, led by 20 points from Meighan Simmons. Simmons knocked down four of the Lady Vols’ five three-pointers in the game. Cierra Burdick followed with 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Taber Spani added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Tennessee shot 48.2 percent (27-of-56) from the field, while limiting Florida to 41.1 (30-of-73) percent shooting. The Lady Vols out-rebounded the Gators 37-34.
Florida (18-14) was led by a career-high 22 points and seven rebounds from Sydney Moss.
FLORIDA NOTES
• Florida is now 18-14 overall, 18-33 all-time in the SEC Tournament.
• The Gators are 4-16 all-time in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal round and have not advanced to the weekend since 1998.
• Florida is now 0-9 all-time against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament.
• UF falls to 0-8 this season against ranked opponents.
• Freshman G Sydney Moss had a season- and career-high 22 points to lead all scorers.
• Senior forward Jennifer George played in her 130th career game for the Gators, passing Tamara Stocks (1997-2001) for the Florida program record for games played.
• George had 7 rebounds in the game, giving her 890 for her career and moving her into seventh all-time in Florida history.
• Junior guard Jaterra Bonds scored 18 points, her 23rd double-digit scoring game of the season, and she matched a season-high with a pair of 3-point field goals.
• Florida dominated points in the paint, 42-28.
TENNESSEE NOTES
• Tennessee improves to 24-6 overall and 70-17 all-time in the SEC Tournament.
• The Lady Vols advance to face the winner of South Carolina/Texas A&M Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.
• UT is now 46-3 all-time against the Gators and 2-0 this season, riding a nine-game win streak.
• Six of the seven Lady Vols to score had double figures, led by junior Meighan Simmons’ 20 points.
• Along with Simmons, cierra Burdick (14), Taber Spani (13), Kamiko Williams (12), Basharra Graves (10) and Ariel Massengale (10) also hit double digits in scoring.
• The SEC's leading scorer, Simmons has now scored in double figures in 18-consecutive contests and 27 of UT's 30 games this season.
• Burdick led the effort on the boards with eight rebounds.
• With Spani’s one three-pointer today, she ties Sidney Spencer in eighth on UT’s all-time three-point field goals made chart with 133.
• UT won the battle on the boards, 37-34.
• The Tennessee bench outscored its UF counterparts, 17-16.