Olivier Sarr scored 24 points, Davion Mintz made the game-winning 3-pointer with 47 seconds left and Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 77-74 on Tuesday night for its ninth-straight win against the Commodores.
Kentucky’s Jacob Toppin blocked Scotty Pippen Jr.’s shot with 41 seconds to play. Pippen grabbed the rebound after Mintz missed a jumper on the ensuing possession, but Trey Thomas and Maxwell Evans each missed potential game-tying 3s. Evans’ shot hit the front of the rim at the buzzer.
Kentucky (3-6, 2-0 Southeastern Conference), which had lost six straight before beating Mississippi State 79-73 in double-overtime on Saturday, avoided the first three-game losing streak in the 45-year history of Rupp Arena.