Sophomore forward Grant Williams bounced back from public criticism by coach Rick Barnes to score 23 points to help No. 19 Tennessee post a 62-57 victory over Florida on Wednesday in Southeastern Conference play at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.

Junior forward Admiral Schofield contributed 16 points and eight rebounds, as the Volunteers (20-7, 10-5 SEC) remained two games behind first-place Auburn in the conference race. Tennessee improves to 12-2 at home.

Junior guard Jalen Hudson scored 13 points to lead the Gators (17-11, 8-7), who lost their third straight game and fifth in the last seven. Sophomore forward Keith Stone and senior point guard Chris Chiozza (nine assists) scored 11 points apiece.

Florida shot just 35 percent from the field, including 6-of-24 from 3-point range. Tennessee shot 43.4 percent and was 3-of-10 from long range.

Williams, who was 8-of-13 from the field against the Gators, bounced back from a poor effort (five points on 1-of-8 shooting) in Saturday's loss to Georgia.

"He gave me a challenge, and I had to respond," Williams told ESPN2 in a postgame interview in reference to Barnes' comments. "I didn't do a good enough job on the defensive end and that is something I need to improve on, but on the offensive end I thought I did my job tonight."

Schofield scored five points during a 7-0 push, as the Volunteers took a 44-36 lead with 8:14 left. But junior forward Kevarrius Hayes hit a jumper and senior guard Egor Koulechov drained a 3-pointer, as the Gators moved back within three with 7:19 remaining.

Williams and sophomore guard Jordan Bowden each scored four points during the ensuing 8-1 run, as Tennessee stretched its lead to 52-42 with 5:04 left.

Hudson drained a 3-pointer to conclude a 11-5 burst that brought Florida within 57-53 with 1:57 left. The Gators later moved within 60-57 on Chiozza's layup with 24.5 seconds remaining, but he missed the ensuing free throw after being fouled and Tennessee closed it out.

The Volunteers finished the first half with an 11-1 push to hold a 27-18 lead at the break.

Florida missed its last five field goal attempts and nine of its last 10 as it posted its lowest first-half total of the season. The Gators shot 26.9 percent in the half.

Chiozza's layup with 5:15 left gave Florida a 17-16 edge. Tennessee controlled the rest of the stanza, and Schofield's jumper with 26 seconds left capped the surge and gave the Volunteers the nine-point halftime advantage.

--Field Level Media