A midweek game in Nashville offered Georgia basketball a chance to bag one of its best wins of the season against a Vanderbilt team ranked No. 21 in the coaches poll and No. 17 in the NET rankings.
The Commodores denied the Bulldogs from boosting their March Madness resume by turning back the visitors, 88-80, on Wednesday night, Feb. 25, in Memorial Gymnasium.
Georgia (19-9, 7-8 SEC) overcame a 20-point first-half deficit to tie the game, but went the final 4 minutes and 24 seconds without a field goal after getting a layup from Jeremiah Wilkinson (28 points on 7 of 12 shooting, 5 of 9 on 3s) to cut the lead to 77-75.
Vanderbilt scored the next five points, including getting a three-point play from AK Okere (13 points, 6 rebounds). The Commodores got 17 points each from Tyler Tanner and Devin McGlockton against a Georgia team that had Somto Cyril and Marcus Millender battling foul trouble in the second half.
“We had a bunch of fouls in the second half playing from behind,” Georgia coach Mike White said. “When you exert that much energy, at times, young people have a tendency to make errant decisions. Some of our fouls were just a little bit out of character. …Sixty to 70 feet from the rim we had two back-to-back fouls that just weren’t solid decisions.”
Vanderbilt shot 49.2% for the game. It was 15 of 30 from the floor in the second half when it was 13 of 15 from the foul line.
“It was probably our worst wall-up game in terms of being the first jumper off the floor with regard to falling for shot fakes, something we worked on the last two days,” White said. “Our focus level there wasn’t good enough to come on the road and win in the SEC.”
Georgia fell behind 37-17 early after going without a field goal for 5 minutes and 28 seconds. Wilkinson then scored 10 points in an 18-5 run to close the first half.
Vanderbilt led 60-50 after back-to-back 3s from Duke Miles (15 points), but the Bulldogs went on a 10-0 run and tied the game on a 3-pointer from Blue Cain with 9:27 to go.
McClockton’s layup with 7:44 left put Vanderbilt ahead for good, but Georgia stayed within striking distance.
The Bulldogs still couldn’t extend its winning streak to three games.
Vanderbilt (22-6, 9-6) snapped a two-game losing streak in its home finale.
The Bulldogs final three games include two teams in the bottom third of the SEC standings with South Carolina (12-15, 3-11) at home Saturday and at Mississippi State on March 7. A home game against second-place Alabama in sandwiched between on Tuesday.
Georgia had a chance to tie on a Dylan James dunk that didn’t go down and has been right behind Vanderbilt down the stretch.
Jeremiah Wilkinson’s drive and layin with has Georgia down 77-75 with 3:35 to go. Vanderbilt is going to the line for two.
Georgia scored 10 straight points and tied the game at 62 on a Blue Cain 3. It’s been back-and-forth since. The Commodores now lead 68-66 after a layup from Devin McClockton. There’s 7:26 to go.
Vanderbilt pushed its lead up to 10, but Jeremiah Wilkinson’s fourth 3-pointer cut the margin to 62-55. There’s 11:29 to go.
The Commodores are 8 of 16 in the half and outrebounding Georgia 8-4 in the half. Wilkinson has 19 points.
Georgia is 4 of 5 from the field this half and has made all 3 of its 3 point tries.
Jeremiah Wilkinson’s 3 has cut the Vanderbilt lead to 52-47. There’s 15:13 to go.
Georgia cut the Vanderbilt lead to four on a Kareem Stagg 3, but Jalen Washington’s three-point play has Vanderbilt back up 47-40 with 18:04 to go.
Georgia goes into the locker room at the half down 42-35. That’s a victory of sorts given the Bulldogs trailed 37-17.
Georgia outscored Vanderbilt 18-5 in the final 5 minutes and 55 seconds.
Jeremiah Wilkinson leads Georgia with 10 points. The Bulldogs are 13 of 15 from the foul line.
Vanderbilt’s Devin McGlockton leads with 9 for the Commodores who are shooting 15 of 31.
Vanderbilt led by as much as 20, but Georgia reeled off nine straight points and now trails 37-26 with 3:50 to go.
Jeremiah Wilkinson scored 7 of Georgia’s 9 points during the run.
Georgia has gone 4 minutes and 12 seconds without a point. Vanderbilt is on an 11-0 run and leads 31-14 with 7:37 to go in the half.
Georgia is 5 of 20 and 1 of 9 on 3s. Jeremiah Wilkinson and Marcus Millender are each 0 of 3 shooting.
Vanderbilt has scored seven straight points as Georgia has missed its last four shots.
Vanderbilt leads 27-14 with 9:16 to go in the half.
Vanderbilt is 8 of 13 from the field including 3 of 6 on 3s. The Commodores were up 20-10, but Georgia forward Kanon Catchings scored inside on two trips down the floor to cut the lead to 20-14.
There’s 11:28 to go in the first half. Duke Miles has 5 to lead Vandy.
Vanderbilt raced out to a 6-0 lead and leads 10-5 with 14:54 to go, but Somto Cyril will get two free throws after the media timeout.
Blue Cain has all 5 of Georgia’s points with a reverse layup and 3-pointer. Vanderbilt is 4 of 6 shooting.
Georgia’s starting lineup against Vanderbilt remains the same: guards Marcus “Smurf” Millender and Blue Cain, forwards Kanon Catchings and Kareem Stagg and center Somto Cyril.
Georgia did not have a player on the SEC Availability Report. The Bulldogs have used a 10-player rotation the last two games.
Tipoff at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville is at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
The game is available to stream on SEC Network (FUBO free with trial)
Oct. 15 Georgia 61, Georgia State 61, 7 p.m. (exhibition)
Oct. 26 Georgia 81, Troy 65 (exhibition)
Nov. 3 Georgia 104, Bellarmine 59
Nov. 5 Georgia 94, Maryland Eastern-Shore 29
Nov. 9 Georgia 120, Morehead State 81
Nov. 14 Georgia 92, Georgia Tech 87
Nov. 17 Georgia 87, Florida A&M 57
Nov. 21 Georgia 78, Xavier 77 in Charleston
Nov. 23 Clemson 97, Georgia 94 (OT) in Charleston
Nov. 29 Georgia 123, Tennessee Tech 81
Dec. 2 Georgia 107, Florida State 73 in ACC/SEC Challenge
Dec. 2 Georgia 84, Cincinnati 65 in Atlanta
Dec. 18 Georgia 102, Western Carolina 82
Dec. 22 Georgia 103. West Georgia 74
Dec. 29 Georgia 89, Long Island 74
Jan. 3. Georgia 104, Auburn 100
Jan. 6 Florida 92, Georgia 77
Jan. 10 Georgia 75, South Carolina 70
Jan. 14 vs. Ole Miss 97, Georgia 95 OT
Jan. 17 Georgia 90, Arkansas 76
Jan. 20 Georgia 74, Missouri 72
Jan. 24 Texas 87, Georgia 67
Jan. 27 Tennessee 86, Georgia 85 (OT)
Jan. 31 Texas A&M 92, Georgia 77
Feb. 7 Georgia 83, LSU 71
Feb. 11 Florida 86, Georgia 66
Feb. 14 Oklahoma 94, Georgia 78
Feb. 17 Georgia 86, Kentucky 78
Feb. 21 Georgia 91, Texas 80
Feb. 25 at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. SEC Network
Feb. 28 vs. South Carolina, 3:30 p.m. SEC Network
March 3 vs. Alabama, 6:30 p.m. ESPNews
March 7 at Mississippi State, 3:30 p.m. SEC Network
March 11-15 SEC Tournament in Nashville
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Georgia basketball vs Vanderbilt final score as Bulldogs fade late in loss – Online Athens
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