The visiting Kentucky Wildcats jumped out to a big early lead it never lost, knocking off host Vanderbilt, 82-78, in a Southeastern Conference game on Wednesday in Nashville.
Isaiah Jackson paced Kentucky (7-13, 6-7 Southeastern Conference) with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Davion Mintz (18 points), Jacob Toppin (16), Brandon Boston (12 points) and Olivier Sarr (10) each added double-figure scoring.
Dylan Disu had career-highs in points (29) and rebounds (16) for Vanderbilt (6-11, 2-9) while Scotty Pippen Jr. had 21 points and three assists, though he was just 5-for-19 from the floor and had five turnovers.
Kentucky held the Commodores, who hit 13 3-pointers at a 43.3 percent clip in their win over Mississippi State, to 4-for-23 (17.4 percent) from distance.
The Wildcats took advantage at the free-throw line, where they shot 24-for-25 (96 percent).
Vanderbilt opened the half on a 16-4 run to tie the game at 46 after Disu's free throw with just under 14 minutes to play, following a technical foul on the Wildcats for having six players on the floor.
Kentucky put the Commodores in the bonus with 12:17 left, just after Sarr picked up a third foul with Jackson having drawn a fourth just 32 seconds prior. But Vandy couldn't take advantage immediately.
Pippen fouled Jackson out on a drive with 2:43 left, hitting two free throws to get it to 71-66. His layup on Vanderbilt's next possession cut the deficit to three.
Mintz canned a contested 3-pointer from the left side to answer, but Disu responded with a put-back and a free throw to cap a three-point play with 1:16 left.
Disu's layup off a Kentucky turnover with 1:03 left got the Commodores to within 74-73.
Still trailing by a point, Vandy had a shot at its first lead, but Jordan Wright missed two foul shots with 33 seconds left.
Pippen canned two with 26.5 left to again get the Commodores within one, but Kentucky's Toppin responded with two with 19.1 remaining to give his team a 78-75 lead.
Disu missed a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, and then Boston canned two foul shots two seconds later for an 80-75 lead.
--Field Level Media
Kentucky | Vanderbilt | |
Davion Mintz 18 | Scoring | Dylan Disu 29 |
Keion Brooks Jr. 5 | Assists | Dylan Disu 3 |
Keion Brooks Jr. 9 | Rebounds | Dylan Disu 16 |
Devin Askew 6 | Free Throws Made | Scotty Pippen Jr. 10 |
Devin Askew 3 | Steals | Dylan Disu 2 |
Keion Brooks Jr. 4 | Blocks | Dylan Disu 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Kentucky | 82 | 41.0 | 8-26 | 24-25 | 17 | 34 | 11 | 7 | 15 |
Vanderbilt | 78 | 40.0 | 4-23 | 22-28 | 10 | 35 | 3 | 8 | 14 |