LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Freshman Patrick Patterson had 23 points and 12 rebounds to lift Kentucky to a 79-73 double-overtime win over No. 13 Vanderbilt on Saturday, stealing back some of the luster missing from the historic program.
Ramel Bradley added 20 points, and Joe Crawford had 17 for Kentucky (7-7, 1-0), which gave Billy Gillispie a win in his Southeastern Conference debut.
Shan Foster had 20 points for Vanderbilt (16-1, 1-1) which started the day as one of five unbeaten teams in Division I. A.J. Ogilvy struggled early for Vanderbilt, but ended with 16 points and five rebounds to help the Commodores overcome a 16-point deficit and force two overtimes.
Bradley’s jumper in the second overtime put Kentucky ahead 77-73, clinching the first win over a ranked opponent this season.
Ogilvy’s putback with 1.8 seconds left in the first overtime tied it at 72, sending a once blowout game into a second overtime.
After Vanderbilt took a 69-68 lead in the first overtime on a layup by Alan Metcalfe, Bradley answered with a layup for Kentucky. Patterson would the put the Wildcats ahead 72-69 on a tip-in, pumping his fist in a premature celebration.
Foster hit a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left in regulation that tied the game at 65, one possession after the Commodores forced Crawford into a turnover.
The Wildcats called a timeout with 2 seconds left in regulation, but all they could get off was a desperate heave by Bradley.
Kentucky led 46-30 with 15 minutes to play, but collapsed with the kind of blunders that have come to typify this year’s Wildcats.
For a team that had seemed to lose confidence in Gillispie’s first season, Kentucky could use the boost that comes with a big win over a ranked SEC East opponent.
Kentucky was shocked with a 16-point home loss to Gardner-Webb in his second game and the poor showings snowballed.
The Wildcats lost to top-ranked North Carolina and were routed at No. 11 Indiana. They also lost at home to unheralded San Diego.
They didn’t show any affects of all that against Vanderbilt.
Derrick Jasper hit two 3-pointers to cap a 10-0 run that gave the Wildcats a 23-10 lead with 9:36 to play in the opening half.
Vanderbilt tried to creep back, but Foster and Ogilvy couldn’t get free from Kentucky’s smothering defense, which held them to a season-low five points at halftime. The Wildcats went ahead 32-17 with 2:25 left in the half on a three-point play by Patterson that erupted the Rupp Arena faithful.
Foster opened the second half with five quick points, cutting Kentucky’s lead to 32-27.
