GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ The Florida Gators had the ranking and resume, but Florida State showed it still owned the rivalry.
Behind a season-high 25 points by shooting guard Terance Mann, the Seminoles stunned the Gators, 83-66, on Monday night to remain unbeaten and extend their winning streak in the series to four games.
The Gators (5-2) entered the game with the No. 5 ranking and a win over national power Gonzaga and a close call against top-ranked Duke. But the Seminoles (7-0) showed more athletic ability and backbone to extend their winning streak in the series to four games.
The Seminoles forced the Gators into a season-high 17 turnovers, leading to 19 points, had a 24-to-eight edge in second-chance points and a 51-34 rebounding edge.
The Gators came out flat following an eight-day layoff on the heels of a trip to Portland, Ore., for the Phil Knight Invitational, where UF showcased its offensive firepower to outlast Gonzaga in double overtime and build a 17-point lead against Duke before losing.
On Monday night in the O'Connell Center, FSU jumped to a quick 10-1 lead and asserted themselves as the more athletic, determined team.
The Gators would battle back and eventually take slim leads several times. But FSU closed the first half with an 8-0 run to lead 42-34 and really never looked back.
The Seminoles' pivotal run ended on an alley-oop dunk by forward Phil Cofer. The play was one of many examples of the Seminoles' superior length and athletic ability around the basket.
The Gators did pull within four points early in the second half, at 48-44, on an alley-oop dunk by guard Jalen Hudson. But a drive by Mann and back-to-back 3-pointers by guard CJ Walker gave the Seminoles a 56-44 lead, their largest of the game.
FSU would push the lead to 18 points in the final minutes.
UF entered the game leading the nation with a scoring average of 99.5 points. But the Gators shot just 21 of 58 from the field, including 6 of 25 from 3-point range.
Senior point guard Chris Chiozza finished with just three points, four assists and four turnovers.
