SEC Football

Foster guides No. 20 Vandy past Georgia

Nashville, TN - Shan Foster scored 29 points and grabbed six rebounds as 20th-ranked Vanderbilt surged past struggling Georgia in the second half for an 86-74 win at Memorial Gymnasium.

Alex Gordon added 23 points -- including a career-best seven three-pointers -- as Vanderbilt (23-4, 8-4 SEC) won its sixth in a row after starting 2-4 in conference play. A.J. Ogilvy added 14 points and six boards for the Commodores, who improved to 17-0 as the host this season.

"Being here for four years you definitely learn," Gordon said. "It's been a long road, but coach has done a good job of teaching. I just wanted to take good shots. My teammates found me and I was able to knock them down."

Sundiata Gaines tallied 24 points for the Bulldogs (12-13, 3-9), who... More after the break

have dropped eight of nine overall. Billy Humphrey scored 15, while Terrance Woodbury and Albert Jackson contributed nine points apiece.

Trailing by one at the break, Vanderbilt stormed out of intermission, making its first four shots as part of a 13-4 run that ended with Gordon's fifth three-pointer of the afternoon and a jumper from Ogilvy, giving the Commodores a 50-42 advantage three minutes into the stanza.

Georgia cut the lead to five, 52-47, but the Commodores continued their hot shooting, extending the lead to 59-47 on another three from Gordon, as Vanderbilt outscored Georgia 22-9 over the first 5 1/2 minutes of the second session.

A three-point play from Ogilvy completed a 12-0 run that gave Vandy a 17-point lead just over seven minutes into the half.

"Vanderbilt is a very good offensive team that's very explosive," said Georgia head coach Dennis Felton. "Our defense just wasn't good enough in the second half to give us a chance to win."

Georgia fought back, using an 8-0 run to cut the margin to nine points on Zac Swansey's jumper with 8:41 to play, but the Commodores reeled of a 10-2 run, capped off by Gordon's seventh three, to push the lead back to 17, at 81-64, with six minutes left on the clock.

A small rally pulled the Bulldogs within 12 in the final minute, but they got no closer, as the Commodores shot 63 percent (17-of-27) in the second half to cruise to victory.

"We got on a roll offensively in the second half and, maybe because of their lack of depth, we were able to wear them down," said Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings. "I'm pleased with our second half performance and wasn't with the first half."

Vandy's hot-shooting second half performance was in stark contrast to how the Commodores began the game.

After opening the game 2-of-11 from the field, Gordon drilled a pair of threes to set off a 14-4 run, capped off by Foster's baseline jumper that put the Commodores ahead 19-12 with 9:15 to play before halftime.

Humphrey's three tied the game, 28-28, inside the four minute mark. Vanderbilt briefly took the lead back, but Woodbury canned a three with 34 seconds left that gave the Bulldogs a 38-37 lead heading into the locker room.

Game Notes

Vanderbilt finished the game shooting 50.8 percent from the field, including 12-of-26 from beyond the arc...The win completed a season sweep of the Bulldogs for Vanderbilt, as the Commodores won 67-59 in Athens February 6...The Commodores return to action Tuesday when they host second-ranked Tennessee.