Vanderbilt Ends SEC Losing Streak With Upset of LSU

Vanderbilt didn’t win any conference games last season, and the Commodores lost their first eight SEC matchups this season. In fact, Vandy last beat an SEC foe back on March 3rd, 2018; since then, it had been 28 straight SEC regular season and conference tournament losses.

With that in mind, there was no reason to believe that the streak would end when Vanderbilt welcomed LSU to Nashville on February 5th. The 18th ranked Tigers came into the game leading the SEC with an 8-0 record and were 17-4 overall.

Maybe the Tigers were looking past the Commodores to their next game February 8th at #11 Auburn, or maybe they just didn’t take Vanderbilt seriously enough. Whatever the reason, Vanderbilt would not be denied. The Commodores scored a career high 99 points and beat LSU 99-90.

Vandy got tremendous production out of its backcourt; guards scored 90 of the 99 points, led by Saben Lee (33) and Maxwell Evans (31). The Commodores are not a tall team and have to rely on their guards to carry the load especially with forward Aaron Nesmith (averaging a team high 23 points per game) missing the last seven games with a foot injury.

Vanderbilt (9-13 overall, 1-8 in the SEC) will try to extend the streak to two in a row at Mississippi State on February 8th before hosting #15 Kentucky on the 11th. After the Auburn game, LSU will host Missouri on February 11th.

LSU wasn’t the only ranked team to be upset on February 5th. Nineteenth ranked Butler beat #10 Villanova 79-76, #17 Iowa was crushed by Purdue 104-68, and #21 Creighton lost at Providence 73-56.