Vanderbilt’s Balanced Attack Powers 88-80 Win on Senior Night
Senior Night Win for No. 25 Vandy
It was Senior Night inside Memorial Gymnasium, and the No. 25 Vanderbilt Commodores made sure it was a good one.
After dropping back-to-back games to Missouri and Tennessee, Vanderbilt needed this one badly, and so did a Georgia team still fighting to solidify its NCAA Tournament resume. Both squads came in hungry, but the Commodores set the tone early.
Vanderbilt jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first half, attacking the paint at will with some kick-out threes, and looking like the team that started the season 16-0. However, Georgia took advantage of some cold spells and didn’t fold. The Bulldogs chipped away and cut the deficit to seven heading into the break at 42-35.
Paint dominance was huge for Vanderbilt. The Commodores went 19-of-22 on layups and finished with a 44-26 advantage in the paint. When the perimeter shots weren’t falling, the ‘Dores went to what worked.
Georgia kept hanging around, going on runs to keep things interesting, but could never grab the lead. A big reason for Georgia’s resilience was Jeremiah Wilkinson, who finished with 28 points for the Bulldogs and continued to heat up as the night went on, especially from beyond the arc. He kept Georgia within striking distance, but it was never quite enough.
The difference for Vanderbilt was depth in my opinion, and the ability to rebound and win the paint. The Dores were able to draw contact and get to the line, shooting 21-of-24 from the stripe. Six Commodores finished in double figures, making it hard for Georgia to key in on one guy.
Devin McGlockton made every one of his 29 minutes count on his Senior Night, posting a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double while shooting 70 percent from the field and going 3-for-3 from the free throw line. Sophomore Tyler Tanner also put up 17 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists.
Duke Miles, in just his second game back from injury, looked comfortable and poured in 15 points. AK Okereke added 13 with six rebounds and six assists, while Tyler Nickel and Jalen Washington each chipped in 10.
The Commodores honored seven seniors before the game: Duke Miles, AK Okereke, Devin McGlockton, Jalen Washington ,Tyler Nickel, Miles Keeffe, and Coleson Messer.
With the win, Vanderbilt improves to 22-6 overall and 9-6 in SEC play, and finishes with a 13-3 home record for the season. Georgia drops to 19-9 and 7-8. The Commodores now hit the road for a challenging closing stretch, starting Saturday at Kentucky.
Vanderbilt defeated the Wildcats 80-55, on January 27 at Memorial Gymnasium.
