Field Level Media
Mar 7, 2020
Scotty Pippen Jr. and strong guard play led Vanderbilt to an 83-74 upset of South Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Nashville, Tenn.
Pippen scored a career high-tying 21 points, Maxwell Evans had 20 and Saben Lee added 19 for the Commodores (11-20, 3-15 SEC). Pippen made 15 of 16 shots from the free throw line.
Forward Ejike Obinna had a game-high 12 rebounds for Vanderbilt, which carries a two-game winning streak into next week's SEC Tournament.
Guards Jermaine Couisinard and Keyshawn Bryant had 13 points apiece and Trae Hannibal added 11 for South Carolina (18-13, 10-8), which was done in by 30 fouls and 18 turnovers.
Vanderbilt got the ball into Pippen's hands late and let its freshman win the game. He beat a defender for a lay-in to give his team a 72-66 lead with 2:16 left. He then made six straight foul shots to seal the win.
Lee's steal in backcourt after Pippen's last free throws resulted in two made free throws for the junior and an 83-74 lead with 30 seconds left.
Dylan Disu's 3-pointer from the right side gave Vanderbilt a 38-35 lead 58 seconds into the second half.
A Pippen lay-up a couple of minutes later pushed the lead to seven, Vanderbilt's biggest of the day to that point.
Lee's steal and fast-break lay-up made it 60-52 with 9:30 left.
An Evans rebound, followed by a feed to Lee for another fast-break bucket gave Vanderbilt its first double-figure lead at 62-52.
South Carolina, which led 35-33 at half, went into the bonus with 9:58 left.
The Gamecocks seized an 18-14 lead when forward Maik Kotsar got the ball on the right wing, penetrated the lane and threw down a one-handed dunk on the left side of the rim with 9:17 left.
Hannibal's lay-up with 8:07 left came at the end of a 9-0 run that put South Carolina up, 22-14. Disu broke that string with a 3-pointer out of a time out.
Kotsar's 16-foot jumper with 2:59 left provided the first double-digit lead (34-24) for either team.
Disu's 3-pointer, followed by an offensive rebound and put-back of his own miss, got Vandy within five before an Evans transition 3-pointer cut the lead to two.
Evans' 15 led both teams at the break.
--Field Level Media