Crump buzzer beater beats Vanderbilt, 80-78

Nashville, Tenn. – The Georgia men’s basketball team defeated Vanderbilt 80-78 Saturday evening, at the Nashville Memorial Gymnasium.

Senior Tyree Crump would hit the game winner within the closing seconds of the game. After Sahvir Wheeler sank two free throws to keep the Bulldogs within one, 78-77, Scotty Pippen Jr. would miss two free throws before Crump collected the rebound, weaved through defenders and delivered the final blow to the Commodores, giving the Bulldogs their second straight SEC win. This is the second game winner of the season, dating back to Dec. 20 with the win over SMU.

Three Bulldogs would finish in double figures, senior Jordan Harris (17), a season high, and freshmen Anthony Edwards (19) and Wheeler (11).

“We always want to stretch the game as much as you possibly can,” Head Coach Tom Crean said. “That’s why the lay-up with Sahvir was such a big lay-up. That stretches the game. What happens is you come down and you start looking at that scoreboard and start thinking ‘three, three, three,’ no. We’ve got to stretch the game…”

Georgia’s defense held strong the first two minutes of the game before Pippen Jr. got to the line to break the tie giving the Commodores their first lead. Jordan Harris got the scoring going for Georgia with a three, followed by a Rayshaun Hammonds bucket. Two quick threes by Vanderbilt gets them back on top where they would stay for the rest of the half. After a 9-0 run, the Bulldogs trailed by 11 before a Hammonds jumper ends the drought and begins a back and forth affair that saw Georgia make five of five in that stretch. Edwards had a poster dunk, followed by a free throw to tie the game up. Two quick Vanderbilt lay ups gets their lead back to eight. Jordan Harris scores to cut the lead to six but Drew Weikert steals a pass from Mike Peake to push the lead to eight with a lay-up at the buzzer.

Georgia would begin to storm back with Hammonds and Harris making back to back lay-ups to cut the lead to four. After a Vanderbilt make, Edwards threw down another huge dunk to get back within four. A 7-0 Georgia run forces a Vanderbilt time out before Donnell Gresham Jr. hit a three to cut the lead to one. Edwards put the Dawgs on top for the first time since the game was 5-4 with a lay-up. The Commodores would not stay quiet as they went on an 8-0 run of their own. Fagan would go on a 6-0 run by himself to keep Georgia close. The Bulldogs would get within one with a minute left before some Saben Lee free throws pushed the lead to five. Wheeler would go coast-to-coast to get the Bulldogs within three with 13 seconds left. Wheeler sank two free throws before Edwards fouled Pippen Jr. sending him to the line for two. After two missed Pippen Jr. free throws, the Bulldogs would corral the rebound and Crump would sink the game winner, lifting Georgia 80-78.

Georgia will stay on the road with a trip to South Carolina on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 6:30 with television converge provided by SEC Network. The Bulldogs return to Stegeman on Sunday, Feb. 29 to take on Arkansas at 6 p.m.