NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Shan Foster scored 25 points and Derrick Byars added 18, and Vanderbilt snapped a nine-game losing streak against ranked opponents with a 73-64 victory over No. 25 Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Vanderbilt (5-3) hadn’t beaten a Top 25 team since downing then-No. 19 Alabama on Jan. 5, 2005.
Thaddeus Young had 19 points for the Yellow Jackets (6-3), who hadn’t played since losing to Miami a week ago in their Atlantic Coast Conference opener. This was their third loss in four games.
The Commodores were playing their third game in five days.
They opened the game hitting seven of their first nine shots and led by as many as 13 points in the first half. They lost the lead by going cold, hitting only two of their final 14 shots, as Georgia Tech used a 14-0 run to take a 34-33 lead at halftime.
Vanderbilt took the lead for good with a 14-4 run started by three straight baskets by Foster. Byars added a 3-pointer with 12:06 to go, giving the Commodores a 51-50 lead they wouldn’t lose again.
Foster hit another 3 — his fourth of the game — for a 63-52 lead with 7:32 to go. Georgia Tech scored nine of the next 11 points and trailed 65-61 after Javaris Crittenton’s runner with 2:20 left.
The Yellow Jackets turned it over when Crittenton couldn’t handle a pass from Zach Peacock with 1:05 remaining. Vandy sealed the victory at the free throw line, going 10-of-10 over the final 2:46.
Alex Gordon added 14 points for Vanderbilt, which shot 50.9 percent.
Sophomore guard Lewis Clinch came in averaging a team-high 18 points for the Yellow Jackets, who shot 45.2 percent. He had only six points in the first half and finished with 13. Jeremis Smith added 10 as they had 25 turnovers.
This was only the third time these teams have played since Georgia Tech left the Southeastern Conference, and the Yellow Jackets had won the first two, including a 76-67 victory in January in Atlanta.
But Georgia Tech has never fared well in Nashville, winning only once in 12 previous games at Memorial Gymnasium. That lone victory was in 1959.
Vanderbilt will take time off for finals before playing host to Nicholls State on Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.
