Beal scores 17 as No. 18 Vanderbilt wins 11th in 12 games, downs Mississippi State 75-72

No. 18 Vanderbilt beats Mississippi State 75-72

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jermaine Beal scored 17 points, and No. 18 Vanderbilt held off Mississippi State 75-72 on Wednesday night, the Commodores’ 11th win in 12 games.

Vanderbilt (17-4, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) bounced back after losing their first league game last weekend at then-No. 1 Kentucky. The Commodores had been on the road for four of the first six games in SEC play, and they looked very happy to be back in cozy and sold-out Memorial Gym.

But this hasn’t been an easy series for the Commodores with Mississippi State having won seven of the past 10.

The Bulldogs (16-6, 4-3) almost did it again, fighting back from a 14-point deficit to get within 73-72 with 28.6 seconds left on a 3-pointer by Dee Bost. Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins made two free throws with 6.8 seconds remaining, then Bost missed a 3 before Romero Osby of the Bulldogs missed two free throws with 1 second left.

A.J. Ogilvy added 16 points for Vanderbilt, while Jenkins had 12 and Brad Tinsley 11.

Jarvis Varnado had 12 points, 14 rebounds and nine blocks for the Bulldogs, while Kodi Augustus had 15 points, Barry Stewart 13 and Bost 12. Varnado and Stewart set the school record by playing in their 127th game. The Bulldogs have lost three of four.

The Bulldogs brought in the nation’s third-stingiest scoring defense, holding opponents to 36.5 percent shooting. Vanderbilt features the SEC’s best shooters in league play, and the Commodores shot 44.6 percent despite going cold late, not scoring from the field after Festus Ezeli’s dunk with 4 minutes left.

The Commodores did hit 4 of 6 at the free throw line to preserve the win.

Vanderbilt led 38-31 at halftime and led twice by 14 points — matching the Bulldogs’ biggest deficit this season. Beal’s bucket matched the Commodores’ biggest lead at 69-55 with 4:40 left. That’s when Stewart got going, scoring the next 11 points for the Bulldogs including three 3s.

Bost hit the first of two free throws to pull Mississippi State within 73-69 with 1:27 remaining. Varnado got the rebound, but Stewart missed a jumper with 1:11 to go. Bost stole the ball from Beal, then came down and hit a 3 from the right corner with 28 seconds left to trim the lead to 73-72.

That was as close as they could get.

Vanderbilt looked ready to blow out the Bulldogs in the opening minutes, jumping out 9-3 lead. Mississippi State settled down, and the teams gave a glimpse of the furious finish with six ties and six lead changes. The last tie came at 29 when Phil Turner scored on a putback with 4:04 left.