Kentucky rolls No. 25 Vanderbilt for 10th conference victory
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — The Kentucky Wildcats avenged their January loss to Vanderbilt, defeating the 25th-ranked Commodores 91-77 inside Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The game was highlighted by Kentucky’s quick start out of the gate. The Wildcats scored 21 points before the first media timeout, fueled in part by a three-point barrage that lasted throughout the game. Kentucky maintained that momentum in the first half, taking a 46-31 lead into the locker room at the break.
Vanderbilt tried to chip away at Kentucky’s lead in the second half, but the Commodores were unable to cut the deficit to fewer than 12 points at any point after halftime.
Kentucky went on to secure the 91-77 victory.
The Wildcats were led in scoring by Collin Chandler, who set a new career high, and Otega Oweh, as both finished with 23 points apiece. They also received strong contributions from Denzel Aberdeen (15 points) and Malachi Moreno (11 points, five rebounds, six assists), who made key plays throughout the game.
Vanderbilt was led by sophomore Tyler Tanner, who finished with 19 points.
With the win, Kentucky moves ahead of Vanderbilt by one game in the SEC standings entering the final week of the regular season.
The Wildcats also picked up their sixth Quad 1 victory of the season on Saturday.
Kentucky improves to 19-10 overall and 10-6 in SEC play. Vanderbilt falls to 22-7 overall and 9-7 in conference play.
Kentucky will hit the road for the final time this season to face the Texas A&M Aggies (19-10, 9-7 SEC) on Tuesday night at Reed Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
