Tennessee Tennessee/Florida Florida Men's College Basketball recap on ESPN

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The aching back, the broken foot and Florida's biggest pain, the Tennessee Volunteers, don't seem like such big problems anymore.

Sparked by the surprise return of Teddy Dupay on Tuesday night, Florida (No. 14 ESPN/USA Today, No. 13 AP) defeated Tennessee (No. 7, No. 8) 81-67, marking its first win over its Southeastern Conference rivals in four tries.

Matt Bonner had 21 points to lead the Gators (14-4, 4-3 SEC), but the hero of their third straight victory was Dupay, who scored eight late, critical points in his first game back since undergoing back surgery Jan. 10. He had a herniated disc, and was supposed to be out 4-to-6 weeks.

Somebody asked coach Billy Donovan if the injury was as bad as everyone originally thought.

"Do you think he was faking it?" Donovan said, smiling. "When they told me on Sunday to put him through some stuff in practice, I was expecting to see a guy very gingerly moving, cutting, looking like he was walking on eggshells. I was amazed when he started moving and cutting."

Ron Slay scored 18 points to lead the Volunteers (17-4, 4-3), who find themselves in something of a slide, having lost three of four, all to teams either tied or ahead of them in the SEC East.

All the losses have been on the road, and coach Jerry Green says this is no time to panic.

"It gets pretty windy when you're up at the top of the flagpole, and we've been up there for about three years now," Green said. "Everyplace we go, the building is full and teams are ready for us. A win on the road in the SEC is golden, and we've had a couple of losses."

Slay hit two shots during a 10-0 Tennessee run that tied the score at 53 with 7:30 left.

That's when Dupay took over, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws during a 12-6 run to give Florida a lead it never relinquished.

Donovan said team doctors cleared Dupay to play 10 minutes Tuesday. Midway through the second half, one of the doctors told the coach Dupay had reached the 10-minute mark.

"I said, 'He's playing too well, I'm leaving him in,' " Donovan said. Soon after, Dupay hit his crucial shots.

Playing his third game since returning from surgery on a stress fracture in his right foot, Brent Wright also chipped in with a 12-footer that gave Florida a 67-59 lead.

Tennessee answered with four straight points, but Bonner came back with a 3-pointer and Wright followed with a layup to give the Gators a nine-point lead and send the jam-packed O'Connell Center into delirium.

Dupay finished with 10 points and two assists in 15 minutes. As much as his flurry of points helped out late, his surprise return seemed to spark the Gators early.

As recently as last Friday, Donovan said Dupay wouldn't return until at least mid-February, and when he came off the bench, the crowd erupted with cheers of "Ted-dy, Ted-dy, Ted-dy."

"I could've been out for the year, I'm fortunate," Dupay said. "It's really been a day-to-day thing, and every day, I've made improvement."

Isiah Victor scored 12 points and Vincent Yarbrough had 11 for the Volunteers, whose last lead came late in the first half when Tony Harris hit a 14-foot jumper for a 32-30 advantage.

Udonis Haslem scored nine of Florida's first 11 points and finished with 17 points before fouling out, as the Gators climbed out of a hole they dug earlier this month when the injuries hit and they lost two straight at home.

Florida also climbed back on top of a rivalry in which it had recently lost its edge. The Gators had won 14 straight against Tennessee, before the Vols won four of the last five, including a hard-fought pair of overtime games last season.

ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard

Tennessee Clubhouse

Florida Clubhouse

Dupay's return perfect remedy for Gators

Vitale: Dupay's return lifts Gators

AUDIO/VIDEO
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The Gators gain control of the momentum on a 3-pointer by Teddy Dupay.
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Matt Bonner steps in front of the Vols pass and takes it the other way for the basket and the foul.
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Udonis Haslem takes the feed from Brett Nelson and slams it home.
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Teddy Dupay hits the runner for his first bucket since returning from surgery.
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Teddy Dupay threads the needle to Udonis Haslem who finishes with a monster jam.
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After a missed dunk by Udonis Haslem, Ron Slay completes the Vols' fastbreak.
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Isiah Victor utilizes the spin move then drains the jumper.
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