Jarring Stats From Vanderbilt Basketball's Win Over Kentucky – Sports Illustrated

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NASHVILLE—Vanderbilt basketball blitzed Kentucky on Tuesday night and never looked back after getting up big early. 
“It was huge, just to keep our momentum going,” Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner told Vandy on SI. “We just wanted to have energy and come in and that's a big game. 
Obviously, Kentucky being a rival. It was a must win for us, and we came in with that attitude. It went our way.” 
Vanderbilt ultimately took down Kentucky 80-55 on Tuesday night with a big-blue crowd on hand, led by as much as 28, held the Wildcats to 32.2% shooting from the field, scored 1.191 points per possession itself and ended the five-game winning streak that had quieted the hot seat conversation surrounding Pope. It did it without starting guard Duke Miles and consistent ballhandler Frankie Collins. 
Here’s some jarring stats from that outing in which it moved to 5-3 in SEC play and 18-3 overall.
Contextualizing Vanderbilt’s win over Kentucky
Vanderbilt led by as much as 28 on Tuesday
Vanderbilt scored 1.191 points per possession while Kentucky only scored .797
Vanderbilt led for the entirety of Tuesday’s game and was only tied with Kentucky for 24 seconds. 
Vanderbilt outshot Kentucky 40.3%-to-32.2% from the field.
Vanderbilt blitzed Kentucky from the time the ball tipped to the final moments of Tuesday’s game. This was never a question. This was a blowout in every sense of the word. 
Whatever Kentucky was looking to accomplish on Tuesday, Vanderbilt accomplished more effectively and embarrassed Kentucky while doing. 
Vanderbilt was firing on all cylinders on Tuesday and was the aggressor as well. If it wasn’t considered a better team than Mark Pope’s Kentucky team prior to the game, it certainly is now. 
Potent rebounding and defense 
Vanderbilt outrebounded Kentucky 43-37 on Tuesday night. 
Vanderbilt and the Wildcats each got 13 rebounds on the offensive glass
Vanderbilt is now No. 5 in the SEC in defensive rebounding efficiency and last in offensive rebounding. Vanderbilt’s defensive rating is up to No. 3 in the league after it was last prior to its Saturday game. 
How about Vanderbilt finding its way on the glass, putting on a show on the defensive end and doing all the things that the narratives indicated that this group couldn’t do. 
Vanderbilt would’ve won this game had it not scored after the 11:59 mark in the second half. It’s the lowest amount of points that Kentucky has scored since Jan. 7, 2023, against No. 1 Alabama.
Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Southeastern 16 and Mainstreet Nashville.
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