An old problem arose again for Vanderbilt in its 78-77 overtime loss to Mississippi State, one the Commodores thought they had put behind them.
Once again, the team that lost late leads in eventual losses to Xavier, Louisville and Indiana State earlier in the season couldn't close out a game, a problem that actually goes back to last year.
The Commodores saw an 11-point halftime lead disappear in a blink when Mississippi State opened the second period on an 18-2 run, then not once, not twice, but three times failed to make plays at the end of the game that could have turned a heartbreaking defeat into a momentum-building victory.
Center Festus Ezeli hurried a jumper with the score tied at the end of regulation, guard Brad Tinsley tried to force a shot over bigger defenders in the lane with four seconds left in overtime, and guard John Jenkins rushed a jumper at the final buzzer.
All three missed.
"I didn't know how much time I had when I got the ball, so I kind of just guessed," said Jenkins, who caught Ezeli's pass in midair at the top of the key and shot in the same motion. "I probably could have landed and shot it, but in the heat of the moment I just shot the ball."
Ezeli, too, said he misjudged the time left on his attempt.
"Now that I think about it, I kind of didn't know how long one second was when I caught the ball, so I just caught it and threw it up there," he said. "I should have taken a better shot than that."
Frankly, though, it should never have come down to the desperation plays.
The game was lost when the Commodores went from leading 39-28 at the halftime break to trailing 63-53 with fewer than seven minutes remaining.
"Our defensive effort in the second half, especially at the start of the second half, was brutal, so we got what we deserved," coach Kevin Stallings said. "We fell in love with the 3-point shot. I'm not sure if we thought it was going to be easy or something."
It's not the kind of play one might expect from a veteran team.
"We shouldn't have to learn that lesson," Stallings said.
The loss snapped Vanderbilt's winning streak at eight games and left the Commodores 14-5 overall and 4-1 in the SEC going into a home game against Tennessee.
The Commodores also have Middle Tennessee at home before going on the road to Arkansas and Florida.
NOTES, QUOTES
The loss to Mississippi State was the Commodores' third of the season in overtime and second in OT on their home floor. They had lost to Xavier in Memorial Gym and at Louisville in non-conference play.
Overall, the Commodores have lost their last six overtime affairs.
Getting to the free-throw line has not been an issue for Vandy for the season, but it was in the loss to Mississippi State. The Commodores were only 5-of-9 from the stripe against the Bulldogs, who were 14-of-21.
"We took jump shots," coach Kevin Stallings said of the Commodores, "and they got to the line."
In the previous four conference games, the Commodores had gotten to the line nearly 25 times a game.
Junior G John Jenkins continued his remarkable run of double-digit games with 21 points against Mississippi State, his 51st consecutive game with at least 10 points. He was 5-of-7 on 3-point attempts, extending his streak of games with at least three treys to nine. He reached the 20-point mark for the 10th time this season.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We're a good team when we defend well, and we'll beat a lot of people when we defend well." -- Coach Kevin Stallings, on the need for the Commodores to play hard on defense the entire game.
