Rousing start, yet another nip-and-tuck finish highlight Kentucky win
Kentucky’s rousing first half was no ticket out of yet another test of nerves in the final minutes Wednesday night.
Although leading by 17 points inside the first 10 minutes, Kentucky had to outplay Vanderbilt down the stretch to win.
With the lead gone with less than 14 minutes left, Kentucky did enough to prevail 82-78 in Nashville.
Kentucky led for all but 71 seconds. But UK did not breeze to its seventh victory in 20 games (and sixth in 13 Southeastern Conference games).
Kentucky held off Vanderbilt by making eight of eight free throws inside the final 31 seconds.
Vandy, 6-11 overall and 2-9 in the SEC, did not quit. When Davion Mintz fouled Scotty Pippen Jr. on a three-point shot with 3.6 seconds left, the three free throws reduced UK’s lead to 80-78.
Devin Askew clinched it with two free throws with 2.7 seconds left.
Mintz led UK with 18 points. Jacob Toppin chipped in a career-high 16 points. Isaiah Jackson added 15, Brandon Boston 12 and Olivier Sarr 10.
Dylan Disu led Vandy with career highs of 29 points and 16 rebounds.
Too many turnovers. Poor shooting.
That description of Kentucky several times this season fit Vanderbilt in the first half. The Commodores had more turnovers (nine) than points (eight) in the first 10-plus minutes.
With Kentucky off to a good shooting start, the lead grew to 25-8 with 10:14 left.
Jackson’s turnaround shot — part of his 15-point first half — got UK’s first-half lead to its zenith.
Despite a horrible first half by Pippen, Vandy closed within 32-25 with 1:44 left. Disu’s two free throws capped his 17-point first half and got the Commodores within seven.
But a flagrant foul on Pippen helped Kentucky take a 42-30 halftime lead. He pushed Mintz after his fifth turnover. That led to a four-point trip for UK. Mintz made both free throws on a flagrant-one foul on Pippen. Then Toppin hit a jumper to put UK ahead 42-27.
Issac McBride’s three-pointer — one of only two Vandy made in 13 attempts — set the halftime score.
Never mind handling adversity, Kentucky did not deal with prosperity well.
Vandy outscored UK 10-2 to start the second half. Clevon Brown capped that mini run by driving about 20 feet unchallenged to a dunk that reduced UK’s lead to 44-40. That prompted a Kentucky timeout with 16:09 left. UK could not wait for the under-16 television timeout.
The timeout did not reap immediate benefits. Vandy tied it at 46-46 with 13:56 left when Disu made one of two free throws resulting from a technical foul on Kentucky for having six players on the court. That marked the first time UK had not led since Jackson scored the game’s first basket 51 seconds after the tipoff.
With 12:17 left, UK picked up its seventh foul. Vandy had yet to be whistled for a foul.
Mintz, the player who made the dagger that beat Auburn on Saturday, hit a three-pointer to enable UK to regain the lead.
The familiar possession-by-possession test ensued.
Next game
Kentucky at No. 19 Tennessee
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
TV: CBS-27
This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 9:18 PM.
