Tennessee guard Kevin Punter got off to a hot start, and the Volunteers put away Florida early in an 83-69 win Wednesday at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Punter scored 18 of his 26 points in the first half, and forward Admiral Schofield scored 17 points, helping Tennessee improve to 8-0 at home under first-year coach Rick Barnes.

Florida led 17-16 on a 3-pointer from forward Devin Robinson with 14 minutes left in the first half before Tennessee took command. The Volunteers (8-6, 1-1 SEC) closed the first half with 24-8 run and led 53-31 at intermission.

Punter missed only one shot and hit all three of his 3-point attempts in the first half. The senior finished with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals to go along with his game-high point total.

The Gators (9-5, 1-1 SEC) never made a serious run in the second half. Guard KeVaughn Allen led Florida with 18 points, and Robinson finished with 13 points.

Tennessee hosts No. 21 Texas A&M on Saturday. Florida will try to bounce back at home against LSU on Saturday.