Though the Vanderbilt Commodores (17-5, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) were able to escape one Bulldog team early last week, they were nipped by another Saturday night.
Led by standout sophomores Trey Thompkins (17 points, seven rebounds) and Travis Leslie (17 points, eight rebounds, five assists), Georgia (10-11, 2-6) was able to manhandle a Vanderbilt team that looked nothing like the one that had a previously unblemished SEC road record.
“We had some breakdowns (defensively),” said Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings. “Our defense on (Thompkins) broke down, and then everyone collapsed.”
The Commodores were led once again by senior guard Jermaine Beal, whose 21 points led Vanderbilt for a fourth consecutive game. Sophomore guard Brad Tinsley also put together a strong performance, notching 18 points for an offensive attack that shot just over 32 percent from the field on the night.
“We’ve been shooting around 50 percent, and tonight it didn’t seem like anyone could get one to drop,” Stallings said. “It’s tough to deal with when you get into point blank range and you can’t get anything.
“(Tinsley) and (Beal) were really good, but no one else could get anything going.”
Among the struggling Commodores was junior center A.J. Ogilvy, who, in spite of pulling down nine rebounds, was plagued by foul trouble and the physical play of the Bulldog frontcourt. Redshirt sophomore forward Andre Walker (who did not score on 0-3 shooting), freshman guard John Jenkins (one point on 0-9 shooting) and sophomore swingman Jeffery Taylor (eight points on 2-6 shooting) were off the mark as well, making it easy for Georgia to turn this one into a rout.
It took the Bulldogs about five minutes in the second half to erase an eight-point Commodore advantage and establish a 50-45 lead they would not relinquish.
“We had a good lead in the second but then fell apart defensively,” Tinsley said. “It helped (Georgia) that they got to the line a lot. We broke down mentally and physically, and they just capitalized.”
Indeed, Georgia knocked down 16 of 22 free throws (73 percent) in the second half and out-rebounded an overmatched Vanderbilt squad 43-28 on the night, as Thompkins and Leslie were simply too much for the Commodores to handle.
“In the first half, they were rushing,” Tinsley said of the Bulldogs. “But they calmed down and started to run … in the second.”
Up next for the Commodores is rival Tennessee (18-4, 6-2), who dismantled South Carolina 79-53 on Saturday and is looking to avenge an earlier loss to Vanderbilt. Since that defeat, however, the Vols have won three straight SEC games and senior leader Wayne Chism is hitting his stride — he’s averaging 22 points per game since the Commodore loss.
The game will be held Tuesday night at Memorial Gym, with tipoff at 6 p.m. CST.
