Tyrin Lawrence relishes revenge game against Georgia after recruiting snub

Tyrin Lawrence secured a victory in his revenge game against the Georgia Bulldogs, and how sweet it was for the Vanderbilt star.

It may have been before Mike White’s time in Athens, but his team felt the wrath of a recruit scorned. Lawrence — a former three-star recruit who’s from Georgia — always believed he was good enough to join the Bulldogs, but it was evident the program had other idea. Instead, he took his talents to Vanderbilt, forced to bask in the painful memories every time the Commodores played Georgia.

Alas, Vanderbilt’s 85-82 victory on Georgia’s home court was sweet as honey for Lawrence, as he explained during the post-game press conference.

“It means a lot,” started Lawrence. “Being able to play in front of my family and friends. Trying to give them a show. Came out with a win.

“There was definitely a lot of motivation there. Just coming out of high school. I felt like I was good enough to come here and play. Unfortunately they never gave me a chance. Now anytime I step on the court against them, I’m looking to get the win.”

Continuing, Lawrence showed his stuff against his home-state squad, as he amassed 15 points, four rebounds and two steals on the night. It’s been a solid season — Lawrence is averaging 11.1 points and 3.5 rebounds for the Commodores — but there was something special in the air on Saturday.

Moreover, the victory by Vanderbilt certainly hurts the Bulldogs, as Georgia was off to a nice start on the season before a tough loss on Saturday. As for the Commodores, it’s been an uneven season, but perhaps their latest victory will propel them to new heights.

Regardless, Turin Lawrence proved he’s no slouch, and Georgia would’ve loved to have him in red instead of gold on Saturday.