Lee's Heroics Lead Florida Gators Basketball to Upset over Vanderbilt

Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee had 20 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer, in the team's upset over Vanderbilt.

Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee had 20 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer, in the team's upset over Vanderbilt. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Xaivian Lee entered Saturday's matchup at Vanderbilt having not had a 20-point outing in nearly a month and coming off an 0-for-6 performance from deep against Oklahoma. As the 19th-ranked Florida Gators took home a clutch 98-94 win over the 10th-ranked Commodores, Lee and his 3-point shooting was at the forefront.

Donning the No. 99 jersey with a blank name, a result of UF accidentally leaving Lee's, Boogie Fland's and Micah Handlogten's jerseys in Gainesville, the senior scored 20 points and hit three 3-pointers, including one with 45 seconds left that proved to be the game-winner.

Xaivian Lee just had his best game in a Florida uniform, and he wasn’t even in his own uniform. He had to wear No. 99 instead of his No. 1 because the managers forgot his jersey in Gainesville.

The Canadian’s step back 3-point dagger helped put Vanderbilt away. pic.twitter.com/9kWEXwveB2

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 17, 2026

It was Florida's fourth-straight win and third over a ranked team, and it very easily could have slipped away from the Gators..

Trailing 45-44 at half after blowing an 11-point lead, which included Vanderbilt hitting a buzzer-beater two-pointer at the end of the half, Lee's heroics and center Rueben Chinyelu's usual dominance took over for Florida's first win against the Commodores in Nashville since 2022.

Chinyelu scored 16 of his career-high 20 points in the second half to go with 10 rebounds, marking his 10th double-double of the season and third-straight game with that accolade. It included a 6-for-6 mark from the free throw line.

Four free throws came as the Gators took an early lead in the second half. After being fouled on a shot following an offensive rebound, Chinyelu earned an extra two free throws after Todd Golden appealed for a flagrant.

Winning the appeal, Chinyelu hit all four free throws, and Thomas Haugh followed it up with a quick 3-pointer to take a 51-49 lead. Those four free throws proved to be the difference-maker.

KNOCK IT DOWN TOMMY

Tommy sinks a 3 right after Rueben's free throw run to add 7 points for the Gators

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/HTBc9HNt3j

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) January 17, 2026

The quick 7-0 run by Florida was one of many momentum-swinging stretches by both teams.

Trailing 17-13 in the first half, the Gators went on a 17-2 run to take a 30-19 lead, thanks in large part to a pair of 3-pointers from Xaivian Lee and another from Isaiah Brown. Vanderbilt answered with a 10-2 run of its own to cut Florida's lead to three and outscored the Gators, 25-14, across the final nine minutes of the half.

Florida answered early in the second half with Chinyelu and Haugh's seven-point swing and a 9-0 run shortly after to take a 60-51 lead. Chinyelu scored six points, while Urban Klavzar added a 3-pointer. Vanderbilt, once again, answered with their own 9-0 run to tie the game with 13:29 left as the team's traded buckets for much of the second half.

Haugh finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, Condon added 16 points and eight rebounds, and Brown had a career-high 14 pounds with a pair of 3-pointers.

Florida, poised to jump in the rankings after its win, returns home on Tuesday night for a matchup against LSU. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. with television coverage on ESPN 2.