Jordan Wright capped a season-best 23-point outing with a turnaround jumper with 2.6 seconds left to give Vanderbilt a memorable 68-66 victory over No. 23 Kentucky in Southeastern Conference play on Wednesday night at Lexington, Ky.
Tyrin Lawrence recorded 21 points and seven rebounds as the Commodores (17-13, 10-7 SEC) halted a 14-game losing streak against the Wildcats. Vanderbilt also ended a 14-game skid at Rupp Arena by producing its first win in the facility since the 2006-07 campaign.
Overall, the Commodores have won seven of their past eight games.
Oscar Tshiebwe recorded 21 points, 20 rebounds and three blocked shots for the Wildcats (20-10, 11-6), who had a four-game winning streak halted. Antonio Reeves scored 14 points and Jacob Toppin collected 10 rebounds for Kentucky.
The Wildcats took their only lead of the second half at 66-64 when Tshiebwe scored in the interior with 1:10 left.
Vanderbilt tied the score on Wright’s basket with 41.2 seconds remaining. The Commodores later had the ball and decided not to call timeout and Wright worked his way just inside the free-throw line to sink the game-winning jumper.
Reeves missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
Vanderbilt notched the upset despite losing standout big man Liam Robbins with 15:51 left in the first half with a right ankle injury.
Kentucky played without Sahvir Wheeler (undisclosed surgery) and lost Cason Wallace (ankle) early in the second half. Wallace had six points in 20 minutes.
Quentin Millora-Brown added 10 points for Vanderbilt, which shot 40.3 percent from the field, including 8 of 24 from 3-point range.
The Wildcats made just 32.2 percent of their shots and were 3 of 19 from behind the arc.
Lawrence drilled a 3-pointer and Millora-Brown converted a three-point play as the Commodores took a 44-35 lead with 16:26 remaining. Lawrence tacked on a layup to increase the lead to 11 with 15:12 left.
Kentucky answered with nine straight points to move within 46-44 with 13:27 remaining.
Later, Wright buried a 3-pointer to give Vanderbilt a 64-58 advantage. Kentucky scored the next eight points to take the lead with 1:10 remaining.
Wright scored 12 first-half points to help Vanderbilt hold a 34-30 lead at the break.
The Wildcats led 28-23 after a basket by Daimion Collins with 3:23 left in the first half before the Commodores closed with an 11-2 spurt.
Vanderbilt scored the final eight points, including a 3-pointer by Millora-Brown as time expired.
–Field Level Media
