On January 25, Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball defeated No. 9 Kentucky 74-69 at Memorial Gymnasium, marking their second big win of the season.
After previously beating No. 6 Tennessee on January 18, the Commodores celebrated with another court-storming victory.
Jason Edwards led Vanderbilt in scoring with 18 points. He was supported by Devin McGlockton with 14 points, Tyler Nickel who added 11, and Jaylen Carey with 10 points.
“The way we just bounced back from that loss [Alabama] is really proof that our guys are super tough,” Edwards said after the game. “I feel like we can be one of the best teams in the country. We can compete with anybody.”
Devin McGlockton won the opening tip for Vanderbilt, but Chris Manon missed a corner three-pointer, which allowed Kentucky to score first with a dunk.
Jason Edwards quickly responded with a three-pointer from the top of the key. Kentucky answered with a layup, but Edwards matched that with a layup of his own, putting the Commodores ahead 5-4 early on.
After missed shots on both sides, Manon added an impressive dunk to extend Vanderbilt’s lead to 7-4.
Kentucky then scored another two-pointer in the paint. Both teams had several possessions without scoring, but then the three-point shooting picked up.
Vanderbilt’s Edwards, Kentucky’s Ansley Almonor, and Jaxson Robinson each hit a three-pointer in succession.
The Commodores then scored five unanswered points, with Edwards hitting a mid-range jumper and McGlockton sinking a three-pointer, making the score 15-12. Kentucky head coach Mark Pope called a timeout to regroup.
Kentucky responded with a dunk out of the timeout, and Vanderbilt missed back-to-back three-point attempts from MJ Collins and Tyler Nickel. Vanderbilt’s defense stepped up, forcing four scoreless possessions from Kentucky, and Jaylen Carey hit a three-pointer to make it 18-16 in favor of Vanderbilt before a media timeout.
Vanderbilt’s defense held Kentucky for 25 seconds before Koby Brea drained a deep three-pointer, giving Kentucky its first lead since the game’s opening basket. Nickel answered with a three-pointer for Vanderbilt, but Kentucky hit one right back.
Amari Williams bounced back
A blocked shot attempt by McGlockton put Kentucky’s Amari Williams on the ground, but Williams bounced back and made one of two free throws. Nickel answered with a three-pointer to put Vanderbilt ahead at 24-23. McGlockton and Edwards added layups, increasing the lead to 28-23.
Vanderbilt then had a few sloppy turnovers on fast breaks, but Kentucky only capitalized on one of them with a single bucket.
Manon and Carey each scored layups, and Carey added a huge dunk off a Kentucky turnover, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Kentucky called a timeout with Vanderbilt leading 34-25.
Out of the timeout, Kentucky couldn’t take advantage, and Carey missed two free throws, but he quickly made up for it with a block on defense. Collins then hit a three-pointer, and Kentucky’s Brandon Garrison scored a floater to cut into Vanderbilt’s lead.
But the Commodores played well as a team, and McGlockton scored an easy bucket to make it 39-27.
Vanderbilt forced another turnover, and Collins finished with a layup. The Commodores’ defense remained strong, and they led 41-27 at halftime.
Vanderbilt missed an early chance to score in the second half, and Kentucky took advantage with a three-pointer to shift momentum their way.
Edwards fouled Otega Oweh, sending him to the free-throw line where he made both shots, cutting Vanderbilt’s lead to 41-31.
A defensive mix-up left a Kentucky player wide open for a corner three, which got the Kentucky fans excited.
Chants for Kentucky echoed in Memorial Gymnasium, prompting Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington to call a timeout.
Manon missed a wide-open three-pointer out of the timeout, and then fouled Oweh again, who made both free throws. AJ Hoggard hit a three-pointer to give Vanderbilt some breathing room, with the score now 44-38.
A controversial foul sent Williams to the line for Kentucky, where he made one of his free throws. Nickel responded with a three-pointer, but after both teams traded two-point baskets, Kentucky hit a three-pointer of their own. After a media timeout, the score stood at 49-44 in favor of Vanderbilt.
Edwards missed a tough three-pointer after the break, and Kentucky capitalized with a jumper to cut the deficit.
Vanderbilt struggled with some unproductive possessions, and Kentucky brought the score within one point. Nickel managed a tough layup, making it 51-48.
On the next possession, Kentucky tied the game with a three-pointer, and the crowd went wild. After a media timeout, Kentucky went on a 24-10 run to start the second half.
Manon went to the free-throw line but missed both attempts, and Kentucky capitalized with a layup.
Jaylen Carey took the game close
Vanderbilt allowed four unanswered points, but Jaylen Carey hit his second three-pointer of the night to bring the score to 58-54 in favor of Kentucky.
A block by McGlockton gave Vanderbilt a much-needed defensive spark and got the crowd back into the game.
McGlockton hit a three-pointer out of a timeout to make it 58-57, but Oweh responded with a dunk to give Kentucky a bit of a cushion.
Edwards got two shots from the free-throw line but only made one, continuing Vanderbilt’s struggles from the charity stripe. The Commodores were just 1-for-6 from the line at that point.
Nickel found himself at the line soon after and made both free throws to tie the game at 60.
Oweh responded with a floater to give Kentucky the lead back. Tyler Tanner quickly tied the game again with a layup, but another foul sent Oweh to the line, where he made one shot to put Kentucky ahead 63-62.
Tanner played a key role, assisting McGlockton for a basket before scoring a fast-break layup of his own.
After another free-throw attempt by Oweh, Kentucky regained possession and hit a three-pointer to lead 69-68. Hoggard then scored a layup to keep Kentucky ahead.
With just 1:36 left, Nickel hit a clutch three-pointer to give Vanderbilt the lead at 71-69. Kentucky’s head coach Mark Pope called a timeout, but McGlockton stole the ball, which led Byington to call a timeout with 1:21 left.
McGlockton hit a jumper after the timeout, extending the lead to four points. Oweh turned the ball over, and Edwards was fouled. He made the first free throw to make it 74-69 with 24 seconds left.
Edwards missed the second free throw, and while Manon recovered the ball, he stumbled out of bounds before another timeout was called, giving Kentucky possession.
However, Kentucky missed a three-pointer, and Hoggard went to the free-throw line but missed. With no further scoring attempts from Kentucky, Vanderbilt secured the 74-69 victory.
This win marked Vanderbilt’s second top-10 victory in just seven days, sending the home crowd onto the court in celebration. Byington was pleased with the win but had bigger goals in mind.
“At one point I want it to be where we’re not surprised or don’t feel like the underdog in these games,” Byington said. “We’re not there yet, so let the fans enjoy it. I’m happy for them. What a memory for them.”
