In ATHENS, Ga., Dani Carnegie tallied 29 points, spearheading Georgia to a surprising 76-74 triumph over No. 5 Vanderbilt this Sunday.
With just 50 seconds left, Trinity Turner sank a midrange jumper, securing a 75-74 lead for the Bulldogs (20-6, 6-6 SEC). Following a forced miscue on Vanderbilt’s (24-3, 10-3) subsequent play, Carnegie widened Georgia’s cushion to two points by converting one of two foul shots, with 22.2 seconds still on the clock.
Vanderbilt’s last chance to compel an extra period evaporated when Sacha Washington’s floater missed off the front rim right at the buzzer.
Carnegie contributed 18 points in the initial half, assisting Georgia in establishing a 14-point lead against the Commodores. However, Vanderbilt concluded the first half with a 16-3 surge, significantly narrowing the deficit. Despite Vanderbilt holding a lead of up to five points in the final quarter, Mia Woolfolk’s 11 of her 19 total points ultimately propelled the Bulldogs to victory.
Mikayla Blakes paced Vanderbilt by contributing 27 points.
This defeat abruptly ended the Commodores’ five-game victory run, placing them two losses adrift of No. 3 South Carolina in the chase for the conference’s regular-season championship.
The setback for Vanderbilt occurred under 24 hours after the NCAA had designated the team as the fourth No. 1 seed in its top 16 unveiling for the current season.
Looking ahead, Georgia will welcome No. 10 Oklahoma on Thursday to face off against another nationally ranked rival. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt will receive No. 18 Kentucky at home on Sunday.