Kentucky Survives with 77-71 Victory over Vanderbilt in SEC Tournament

Kentucky outlasted a tremendous team effort from Vanderbilt to defeat the Commodores 77-71 in Tampa. The Wildcats put the clamps on Scotty Pippen Jr., making way for TyTy Washington to star. The freshman phenom scored 25 points and Oscar Tshiebwe tied Dan Issel’s double-double record (12 points, 14 rebounds) to set up a date with Tennessee Saturday afternoon in the SEC Tournament semifinals.

Broken Nets Bring the BBN to Life

Vanderbilt did not need Scotty Pippen Jr. to give them an early lead over the Cats, using a 7-0 run to take charge. The Commodores’ momentum was stalled by a brief pause in the action thanks to a broken net on the Wildcats’ end. Cal’s Cats seemed to like the replacement net much more.

Kellan Grady drained a three in transition. Davion Mintz followed it with another bomb from downtown. Just like that, the BBN was brought to life at Amalie Arena, sparking a 12-0 Kentucky run.

Pippen was quiet all night. The SEC’s leading scorer (20.5 ppg.) made only 2-of-17 field goals to score 10 points, the fewest in his career against the Cats.

Outstanding Ending to the First Half

Kentucky did not remain in control throughout the first half. The Wildcats’ big run was ended by a four-point play for Pippen. Vanderbilt kept the Cats off the glass, limiting UK to just five offensive rebounds on 16 first half misses. Kentucky had six turnovers that turned into nine Vanderbilt points in the first 20 minutes. The Commodores finished with 21 points off turnovers.

Neck and neck for most of the way, it all changed in a bizarre sequence before halftime. Trailing by one with 22 seconds remaining, Grady turned down an open three to get into the lane and finish with a pretty finger-roll. The ensuing inbounds pass was swiped by Lance Ware, who dished it to Davion Mintz for an ‘and one.’ The quick five points did not give Kentucky a ton of cushion, but the Cats did regain much needed momentum.

Another Kentucky Injury

At least this minor injury only sidelined Jacob Toppin for a few minutes. Friendly fire to the face sent Toppin to the locker room in the first half with an apparent broken nose. He returned in the second half wearing a face mask. Before Toppin picked up a new piece of hardware, he was grabbing shots off the glass. What. A. Block.

DENIED 🚫@Jtoppin0 with the monster block! pic.twitter.com/mzPyBQMgtJ

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 12, 2022

Balanced Vanderbilt Attack

Over the last three years it’s been the Wildcats vs. the Fighting Scotty Pippen Jr.’s. The SEC’s leading scorer has been a one-man wrecking crew. That was not the case Friday night. Jordan Wright and Rodney Chatman got Vanderbilt going in the second half, draining three three-pointers in a row on a 13-0 Vanderbilt run that gave the Commodores a seven-point lead. Wright, a 10.8 ppg. scorer, finished the night 5-for-5 from three-point land and 27 points.

Jerry Stackhouse Technical Changes the Game

Once Grady put the Vanderbilt run to bed with a three, the Wildcats started a run on their own. They got a little help from the Vanderbilt head coach. With seconds dwindling on the shot clock, Chatman got Mintz in the air on a pump fake and tried to draw a foul on a three. When the officials remained silent, Jerry Stackhouse became incensed. He bumped into the official on the sideline while UK ran in transition to earn a technical. The Wildcats quickly turned that into a seven-point burst to cap off a 16-2 Kentucky run.

TyTy Washington Delivers Daggers for Kentucky

Vanderbilt kept finding ways to hang around, until TyTy Washington rose to the occasion. The freshman battled injuries over the last two months. He remerged in the SEC Tournament right when Kentucky needed him. Leading by only one, Washington got open in the corner to sink back-to-back threes, opening up the UK lead to nine and put the Commodores at arm’s length. His 25 points were the most he’s scored in a game since before his string of injuries, a 28-point performance Jan. 15 against Tennessee.

Box Score