For a second straight game, Kentucky had to play without Sahvir Wheeler because of a neck injury. Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse had called Wheeler “really the engine that gets them going in their transition game.”
The Commodores’ point guard, Scotty Pippen Jr., looked the part of a player who had been voted the Southeastern Conference Preseason Player of the Year. After having made only two of 12 3-point shots in the last four games (seven of 33 in the last season), he made six 3s and scored 32 points.
That combination suggested Kentucky would get the kind of possession-by-possession test of late-game nerves and execution it said it needed to practice.
But Tuesday’s game in Vandy’s Memorial Gym was not close in score or to that scenario of a needing — to quote Ernest Hemingway — grace under pressure.
Kentucky rolled to a 78-66 victory to improve to 13-3 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. Vanderbilt fell to 9-6 overall and 1-2 in the SEC.
Oscar Tshiebwe led the way, scoring a career-high 30 points. He became the first UK player to score at least 30 points in a game since Immanuel Quickley had 30 against Texas A&M on Feb. 25, 2020. Tshiebwe also grabbed 13 rebounds to post his 12th double-double.
For a second straight game, freshman TyTy Washington excelled in the lead guard role. On Saturday he set a UK record with 17 assists against Georgia en route to being named SEC Freshman of the Week for a third straight time.
“He’s one of those guys who just goes out and plays,” assistant coach Jai Lucas said Monday of Washington’s unruffled playing style. “He never complains about shots or wanting to play more point guard or anything like that. He just plays the basketball game.”
Although Wheeler has the third-best assist average in Division I (7.3 per game), Washington had a slightly better assist-to-turnover ratio: 2.8-to-1 versus 2.5-to-1.
Washington finished Tuesday’s win with 15 points to go with four assists and three turnovers.
Kentucky never trailed in the first half in taking a 41-28 lead at intermission. UK made 60.7% of its shots (17 of 28).
But the opening 20 minutes were not seamless.
Kentucky had the initiative early. For at least the third straight game, Washington made his first shot — this time a 3-pointer — and contributed five points in a 7-0 UK run to start the game.
By making nine of its first 12 shots, Kentucky expanded its lead to 22-11. Vandy had gone scoreless for more than three minutes.
Just when a breeze to victory seemed possible for Kentucky, Vandy went on an 11-0 run to tie it at 22-22.
Kentucky went scoreless for more than five minutes. In that span, UK missed five shots and committed three turnovers.
After a UK timeout with 7:05 left, the game again changed dramatically.
Kentucky scored 14 straight points to take its largest lead yet, 36-22. The run extended to 18-2 with the lead cresting at 40-24 with 1:56 left.
Washington, who had 11 points in the half, set that score with an elbow jumper.
Led by Pippen, Vandy got a bit closer by halftime. Pippen, who had 17 first-half points, hit a three-pointer. His free throw with 1.7 seconds left set the halftime score.
Going into the second half, Pippen had already nearly matched his career scoring average against Kentucky (18 points per game). His four 3-point baskets were one shy of shots from beyond the arc he had made in four previous games against UK (five of 20).
A 9-2 run to start the second half put Kentucky ahead 50-33 with 17:12 left.
In the midst of UK’s breeze to victory, Jay Bilas made a telling comment.
“Wheeler will be coming back to a better than team he left,” the ESPN analyst said.
