No. 25 Vanderbilt never trailed, but had to survive Georgia’s second-half rally to earn an 88-80 win over the Bulldogs on Wednesday evening in Nashville, Tenn.
The Commodores (22-6, 9-6 Southeastern Conference) got double-figure scoring from Devin McGlockton and Tyler Tanner (17 points apiece), Duke Miles (15), AK Okereke (13), Tyler Nickel and Jalen Washington (10 apiece).
McGlockton had a game-high 10 rebounds, including several big ones late, while Okereke had a game-high six assists.
Georgia (19-9, 7-8) got 28 points (18 in the second half) from Jeremiah Wilkinson, who was 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Kanon Catchings scored 15 and Blue Cain had 10.
Georgia shot 56.0% in the second half and gained momentum when Miles, Vandy’s second-leading scorer, went to the bench with his fourth foul with 13:20 left. Cain hit a step-back 3 with 9:28 left to tie the game for the first time since the opening tip, capping a 10-0 Georgia run.
The Bulldogs tied it twice more, but McGlockton had two big offensive rebounds on a possession which ended with two free throws to extend the lead to 79-75 with 3:35 left.
McGlockton grabbed a board off a Wilkinson miss and Okereke, with the shot clock running down, hit a jumper in the lane, got fouled and hit the free throw with 2:48 left.
Georgia never got closer than five from there.
Vanderbilt led 42-35 at half, but threatened to run away with it early. It led 35-15 with 6:37 left in the first half on McGlockton’s put-back, but Georgia picked up the defensive intensity and went on a 9-0 run to cut into the lead.
The Commodores hit just 1 of their last 8 from the floor in the half’s final 6:36, while the Bulldogs hit 13 of 15 first-half foul shots to help close the deficit.
