Strange: Great Dane made plays that counted

The next time Chris Lofton swishes a fall-back 3-pointer on his homecourt, there will be luxury boxes, black seats and a scoreboard the size of a panel truck hanging from the roof.

But the old aircraft hangar went out in style Tuesday night.

Tennessee's pulsating 86-76 win over the Florida Gators will leave a lasting impression for the ages.

"We pulled everything out on this one,'' said coach Bruce Pearl.

Two accomplished basketball teams spent the first six or seven minutes feeling each other out.

What happened next bordered on the incredible. Tennessee blew out to a 27-point lead, making the defending national champs look like chumps.

But the last act was no victory lap. Florida rallied, as champions do.

Thanks to the excellence of their finest first half of the season, the Vols had the cushion to withstand the Gators' charge and the energy to make a few plays at the end.

About that first half, UT shot 67 percent from the field. All nine players who reported to court scored at least one field goal.

"Peyton Manning talked to us before the game,'' said JaJuan Smith. "He said to trust each other and we all went out there and did it.

"We all made big plays. We didn't rely on only one man.''

On Senior Night, Tennessee's only senior proved typically trustworthy.

Dane Bradshaw got his usual assists (5), rebounds (6) and steals (2).

And he scored, too, 10 whole points.

Maybe it was the gravity of the occasion. Maybe it was the proximity of the Gators. At any rate, he rose to the occasion as he always seems to do when Florida's in the house.

Who put the Vols ahead to stay?

Bradshaw, with a driving layup lofted over 6-foot-11 Joakim Noah. That made it 18-17, on the way to 33-17.

Who gave Tennessee its biggest lead?

Bradshaw, with a high-arching 3-pointer from the corner, after which he turned to salute the student section as the scoreboard registered 58-31 with 16:17 to play.

When the Gators came roaring back to make it a not-so-comfortable 67-54, who found a way to stop the bleeding?

Bradshaw, with a nifty feed off an inbounds play to JaJuan Smith for a layup.

Who had one last big play in him before the home fans?

You guessed it, Bradshaw.

With UT clinging to a 79-69 lead after Chris Lofton missed two free throws, Bradshaw anticipated a Florida pass and picked it off with 1:33 to play.

"I'm glad I was right,'' Bradshaw said, "because I left my man. Noah was open for a dunk.''

Instead of Florida getting two the easy way, Tennessee got two the hard way.

Lee Humphrey grabbed Bradshaw, a high-percentage move. However, Bradshaw, a career 57.4-percent free-throw shooter, made both attempts for a 12-point lead.

Barring a postseason encounter, Bradshaw will retire with a 5-3 worksheet against the Gators. Not bad work.

He left the court to a standing ovation with 20 seconds to play, his shoulder aching and his legs cramping.

"That was almost perfect to walk off Thompson-Boling, giving everything I had,'' Bradshaw said.

"That's the best feeling I've ever had with a cramp.''

Hold the valedictory speeches for a while, though.

"This is not good-bye Dane, thanks for the memories,'' insisted Pearl.

"It's not time to reflect on anybody's career because we're not done yet.''