NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Oscar Tshiebwe and Jacob Toppin each had a double-double Tuesday to lift Kentucky to a 69-53 win over Vanderbilt men’s basketball at Memorial Gymnasium.
Thsiebwe posted 15 points and 13 rebounds while Toppin recorded 12 and 10, respectively for the Wildcats (14-6, 5-3 SEC), who also got a game-high 16 points from Antonio Reeves. CJ Frederick and Cason Wallace added 10 points apiece as well.
Malik Dia scored a career-high 14 points to pace the Commodores (10-10, 3-4 SEC), making 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Tyrin Lawrence had his fourth straight game in double figures after scoring 12 points, and Paul Lewis recorded a career-best seven points on 3-of-4 shooting for Vandy.
Kentucky shot 56.4 percent from the floor while finishing with a 37-24 edge on the boards. The Dores turned the ball over only four times, but shot 33 percent from the field overall.
The Wildcats scored the final seven points of the first half—going up 36-27 at the break—before extending that advantage to 48-30 on a Toppin layup four minutes after the intermission. The Dores would pull within 11 points after Dia sank a pair of 3-pointers 37 seconds apart but get no closer the rest of the way.
Vanderbilt next faces Texas A&M on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in College Station, Texas.
