NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Dai-Jon Parker
scored 12 points, and the Vanderbilt Commodores beat Kentucky 64-48
Friday night in a rematch of last year's Southeastern Conference
tournament championship and put a serious dent in the Wildcats' hopes of
at least having a chance to defend their national title.
Kentucky (21-11) came in as a bubble
team projected possibly as a play-in candidate after coach John Calipari
sent six players to the NBA last summer and tried reloading yet again
with another top recruiting class. But Nerlens Noel had surgery earlier
this week to fix his torn ACL, and the Wildcats couldn't match the
intensity of the Commodores.
Kevin Bright scored 11 points, Kedren
Johnson and Kyle Fuller had 10 apiece. Vanderbilt (16-16) shot 50
percent overall, hitting 8 of 17 3-pointers.
Archie Goodwin led Kentucky with 12
points, and Kyle Wiltjer had 10. Ryan Harrow was 2 of 15 for four points
as Kentucky was held to a season-low in points. The Wildcats
outrebounded Vandy 32-30 but just couldn't keep up with how well the
Commodores shot the ball.
The Commodores also lost their top six
players off the team that won the school's first tourney title in 61
years with three also in the NBA. Their growing pains have been such
that winning is the only way to keep playing now.
They came out and hit 18 of their first
27 shots, including their first five of the second half, in building a
48-27 lead. Kentucky clawed back with 10 straight points, the last a
high-flying dunk by Goodwin to pull within 48-37 with 12:43 to go. Then
the Wildcats went cold, not hitting another field goal until Alex
Poythress' layup with 7:31 remaining made it 53-41 because Vandy
suddenly couldn't hit after a Kevin Bright 3-pointer with 11:22 left.
Johnson hit two free throws followed by
a 3-pointer from Sheldon Jeter to push the lead back to 17 with 6:00
left, and Kentucky didn't threaten again. Vandy coach Kevin Stallings
was able to pull his starters in the final minute for an ovation.
Kentucky swept Vanderbilt in the
regular season, but the Wildcats won both games by a combined six
points. The Commodores weren't happy about a 60-58 loss Jan. 10 at
Memorial Gym where officials missed a late shot clock violation on a key
bucket by Noel.
Even though this game is only a couple
miles away from Vanderbilt's campus, Wildcats' fans turned Bridgstone
Arena into Rupp South filled with blue from the court up to the rafters.
The atmosphere only seemed to rev up the Commodores.
Kentucky led twice, the last on a
reverse layup by Goodwin at 6-5. Shelby Moats hit a 3 from the top of
the key for Vandy, then Willie Cauley-Stein dunked to tie it up at 8.
Odom scored on a layup putting Vandy up 10-8 with 12:42 to go. Kentucky
got within two three times, the last at 18-16 with 6:22 to go on a layup
by Harrow on his lone bucket of the half as he missed eight shots.
Vanderbilt finished the half on a 20-7
run as the Commodores kept tipping away passes and pushing the Wildcats
out away from the basket. When they had the ball, the Commodores knocked
down shot after shot. Cauley-Stein picked up his second personal with
4:53 and went to the bench. Vanderbilt scored 16 of the next 23 points.
Moats capped the half as he hit a long
jumper in the final seconds for a 37-23 lead before going to the bench
for a chest bump with Fuller.
