Field Level Media
Feb 5, 2020
Behind career highs from guards Max Evans and Saben Lee, Vanderbilt snapped the longest regular-season conference losing streak in Southeastern Conference history by topping No. 18 LSU, 99-90, in Nashville on Wednesday night.
Lee (33 points) and Evans (31) helped the Commodores (9-13, 1-8) snap the team's skid at 26 regular-season games, and 28 games against SEC teams overall. Lee had a game-high six assists. Guards Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jordan Wright pitched in with 13 and 11, respectively.
LSU (17-5, 8-1) was the league's only unbeaten team in conference play coming in.
Forward Emmitt Williams (24 points) and Trendon Watford (26) and guards Javonte Smart and Skylar Mays (15 each) led LSU in scoring. Williams pulled a game-high 11 rebounds.
Both teams were plagued with foul trouble in the second period.
LSU, which hadn't led since the 6:44 mark of the first half, went ahead 82-80 with 6:46 remaining when Mays -- playing with four fouls -- hit a fast-break lay-up, got fouled and hit the free throw.
Wright's steal and ensuing lay-up with 4:58 put Vandy back up, 84-83. The Commodores started to pull away, thanks to Lee's ability to get in the lane and make lay-ups.
Pippen's 3 to beat the shot clock with 1:08 left put the ‘Dores up, 96-87, and put it away for good.
Evans, a junior whose previous single-game scoring best was 16, had 25 in the first half alone.
Vandy took an early 18-14 lead on Evans' 3 with 12:14 left in the first half. At 9:35, Evans drove the lane, banked in a lay-up, got fouled and hit the free throw, extending the margin to 25-20.
After the Tigers answered with a three-point play, Evans hit back with another 3.
The Tigers re-took the lead, which Evans took back for VU with another 3.
After an LSU miss, Evans snuck out in transition, hit a lay-up, got fouled and hit the free throw for his 20th point and a 39-32 lead.
Evans hit a bomb several feet behind the line with 3:31 left, making the lead 11.
Vandy extended it to 13 with 1:51 left, but LSU closed the half on a 10-2 run from there.
Lee had 16 at the break, while LSU's Watford and Williams had 14 and 15, respectively.
--Field Level Media