CHC: Vandy Stuns Vols With Comeback

CHC: Vandy Stuns Vols With Comeback

3/1/2006

Just over 20 years ago the Vanderbilt basketball team went into its annual home game against the Vols with youth and injury-plagued. Coach C. M. Newton’s rebuilding Commodore’s were coming off an 11-17 (SEC, 4-14) record the previous year.

When the Vols, led by Don DeVoe, visited Memorial Gymnasium on January 15, 1986, a couple of freshmen were counted on to carry the Commodore hopes against their intrastate rivals.

Freshmen Barry Goheen and Barry Booker were still learning about life in the world of SEC basketball. With veterans Jeff Gary and Darrell Dulaney missing from injuries another youngster was asked to help at center–Will Perdue.

Vanderbilt was 8-5 with Bobby Westbrooks, Steve Reece and Bret Burrow also working hard for the Commodores. Tennessee, also a rebuilding team, had a record of 9-4 and the previous season were 12-16, (SEC, 5-13). Tony White, Fred Jenkins, Rob Jones and Dyron Nix led the Vols on the court.

The game will be remembered as one of the greatest comebacks in Vanderbilt basketball history.

Vanderbilt jumped on the Vols early in the game opening with a 10-3 lead. The Vols stormed back to take a 17-13 lead. The first half remained close and a Goheen buzzer shot gave the Commodores a 28-25 halftime lead.

Again Vanderbilt started the second half with the advantage taking a 37-29 lead. But, the Vols reeled off 10 unanswered points and outscored Vandy over a six-minute span 16-1. Tennessee took control of the game at that point 49-41. The Vols maintained the lead 59-51 with just 57 seconds left on the clock.

Then it began.

Reese scored a basket and was fouled with 48 seconds. His free throw bounced off the rim, but Booker forced his way to the ball for a tip in. The score was cut to 59-55 with 32 seconds remaining.

The Vols were fouled and missed the front in of a one-and-one. Goheen streaked down the court to hit a 20-footer to close the gap to 59-57.

Vanderbilt was forced to foul. Anthony Richardson, an 80% free throw shooter, missed the first of a one-and-one. Now only 25 seconds were showing.

Burrow grabbed the rebound, but Westbrooks was called for a turnover with 18 seconds remaining. White was fouled on the in-bounds pass and missed his first free throw attempt. Burrow once again controlled the rebound. Goheen hurried the ball down court, put up a jumper and missed. He took his own rebound, knocked down a basket and was fouled by Nix with four seconds remaining.

Goheen swished the three throw to complete the three-point play. White threw up a desperation shot that harmlessly bounced off the rim. The comeback was complete and the Commodores won, 60-59.

“I think in 31 years I’ve seen a lot happen and this is one of the proudest wins I’ve ever been associated with,” said Newton. “We came into this game against a really good Tennessee team without any excuses and came out with the victory.”

Goheen led the Commodores in scoring with 16 points followed by Westbrooks (13), Burrow and Booker had 10 points each.

“I tried to block out the situation–the noise, the score, everything,” Goheen told The Tennessean. “This is definitely the greatest athletic accomplishment I’ve ever known. On the late foul, I got a push. It was a good call. I don’t think you can credit one or two persons for this win.”

Tennessee was led in scoring by White who had 31 points (14-of-23) and was 3-of-5 from the foul line. Jenkins added 12 points and Nix contributed eight points.

“As things were going in the last minute and a half I knew the ball wasn’t going in,” DeVoe said about his team missing the crucial free throws late in the game. “We had done too many things wrong, had failed too many times to make a shot at the buzzer. Give Vanderbilt credit. It was one of the greatest comebacks I’ve ever seen.

“Teams choke sometimes and we choked in a couple of situations. We had the right guys there and didn’t make the free throws. I think it is clear that we choked at the foul line. You saw the game. Didn’t you think we choked? We had the opportunity for four free throws and we would up with nothing. There

were also those rebounds that we didn’t get.”

White was told that DeVoe used the “choke” word.

“He said we choked?” asked White. “Well, if the coach says that, I can’t do anything about it. The crowd didn’t bother me. “It wasn’t a factor. I just didn’t hit the shot. It was that simple. This is the hardest loss since I’ve been playing basketball.”

Most of the 15, 626 fans stayed until the very end. At the end of the game, the jubilant Commodores raced to their locker room. But the fans would not leave and cheered for a curtain call, which the team answered and went back to the floor.

“We came back to give the fans a hand,” said Goheen. “We were down eight points with less than a minute to play and they didn’t leave. They are the best fans in the country. If they weren’t, there wouldn’t have been more than 2,000 left at that point and they would have all been for Tennessee.”

Newton added, “That crowd up there tonight and this place is the reason I got back into coaching,” said Newton. “The crowd–My goodness! They just wouldn’t allow us to lose.”

Booker was a freshman from Franklin, Tenn. and played his high school basketball at Battle Ground Academy.

“I can’t express the feeling I had after the game, going back up on the floor,” Booker said. “It’s the first time for me to have a curtain call in basketball.”

Nix, who led the Vols with seven rebounds, saw it differently on the last foul called against him.

“It was a great play on his behalf,” Nix said. “He bumped into me and then shot it. It shouldn’t have really mattered because we should’ve been up by eight points by then.”

DeVoe had a thought on Nix who was also a freshman.

“He hesitated and then fouled,” DeVoe said. “The best they should have gotten out of that was a tie. If you are going to foul him, you can’t let him make the shot, too.

“When you’re down eight points with a minute to play, all you’ve got left is the crowd’s support. And with a crowd like this, the game is never over till it’s over.

“The crowds here have traditionally supported this team and it makes a big difference when you come in here to play. We have good fan support, that’s the reason we know what a difference it makes.”

Vanderbilt finished the season with a 13-15 record and seventh-place (7-11) in the SEC. The Vols concluded the season 12-16 and an eighth-place (5-13) finish in the conference.

Commodore History Corner readers are asked to submit their all-time Vanderbilt basketball team. Please submit a first team and second team. Also add a coach. Let’s go with a traditional center, two guards and two forwards. Results will be published in March. If you have any commits or suggestions you can contact Bill Traughber via e-mail WLTraughber@aol.com.