Credit former Florida assistant Anthony Grant with lighting a fire under the Gators before their game Wednesday night against Providence.

Grant, now the head coach at Virginia Commonwealth, watched the UF loss to FSU on TV on Sunday and wasn't happy with the team's lack of energy, intensity and focus. So he telephoned UF forward Al Horford and let him have it.

"He called me and he said he didn't like the way that me, Jo (Joakim Noah) and Chris (Richard) looked out there," Horford said. "He really got after me."

Message received. Horford was 8-of-13 from the field and had a team and career-high 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Gators over Providence 85-67 on Wednesday night.

-- Antonya English, Times staff

[AP photo]