Vanderbilt wins 3rd SEC game missing two players

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Trey Thomas scored 14 points, Clevon Brown made two free throws with 10.4 seconds left for a two-possession lead and short-handed Vanderbilt beat Mississippi 75-70 on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak.

Vanderbilt (7-13, 3-11 Southeastern Conference) was without its top two leading scorers in Scotty Pippen Jr. and Dylan Disu, who combine for 35.5 points per game. Despite that, The Commodores' bench outscored Ole Miss 39-4 to help avoid losing another close SEC game.

Issac McBride gave the Commodores a 10-point lead with 1:51 left before Ole Miss answered with an 8-0 run, capped by Devontae Shuler's 3-pointer. Brown went 1 of 2 on the following possession for a 73-70 lead, but Ole Miss couldn't take advantage — missing two 3-pointers before Brown capped it at the line.

Pippen missed his second straight game after starting his previous 32 and Disu, the SEC's leading rebounder at 9.2 per game, had knee surgery Friday to end his season.

McBride and Maxwell Evans each added 13 points for Vanderbilt. Jordan Wright had 12 points and five assists, and D.J. Harvey scored 10. Vandy closed the first half on an 11-3 run for a 34-32 lead.

Shuler scored 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting for Mississippi (13-10, 8-8).

Romello White added 17 points with eight rebounds, and KJ Buffen and Jarkel Joiner each scored 10.

The teams play each other again next Saturday to end the regular season. Before that, Vanderbilt will be at LSU on Tuesday when Mississippi faces Kentucky.

SOUTH CAROLINA 91, GEORGIA 70

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Jermaine Cousinard scored a season-high 23 points and South Carolina snapped a six-game losing streak with a 91-70 victory over Georgia on Saturday.

Cousinard came in averaging 9.3 points per game but made 8 of 16 shots, including 4 of 8 from the arc, in leading the Gamecocks (6-12, 4-10 Southeastern Conference) to a season sweep of Georgia (14-10, 7-10), who they also beat 83-59 on Jan. 17. The Gamecocks have defeated the Bulldogs 10 straight times.

Keyshawn Bryant added 17 points, Trae Hannibal 15 points and AJ Lawson 11. Hannibal and Lawson had four steals each with the Gamecocks making 15 thefts. South Carolina shot 54%, including 10 of 23 from the arc, in reaching their highest point total this season.

P.J. Horne scored 17 points, including four 3-pointers, Justin Kier added 16 and Toumani Camara and Andrew Garcia 10 each for Georgia. Sahvir Wheeler, who posted the first triple-double in program history in a Tuesday victory over LSU, scored just seven points on 2-of-13 shooting with seven turnovers. He did have five assists giving him a program-record 170 this season, passing Pertha Robinson's 169 in 1994-95.

The Gamecocks led the entire second half with a 12-2 run giving them a 19-point lead with eight minutes to go. The lead reached 25 points late in the game.

South Carolina trailed briefly midway through the first half before a 13-0 run put them ahead for good. The Gamecocks led at halftime 41-29.

AUBURN 77, NO. 25 TENNESSEE 72

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — The Auburn Tigers, who don't have a postseason to look forward to, at least gave themselves something to celebrate with March looming.

Allen Flanigan scored a season-high 23 points and had seven rebounds to lead Auburn to a 77-72 victory over No. 25 Tennessee on Saturday. The Tigers (12-13, 6-10 Southeastern Conference) snapped a three-game losing streak even without freshman point guard Sharife Cooper, out for the second straight game with a left ankle injury.

"There hasn't been a ton of joy in Mudville after games, but you could see the kids just haven't quit," said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, whose team is playing under a self-imposed postseason ban and isn't an NCAA Tournament candidate anyway.

“And somehow we were the most excited team to play, which is really, really hard to do. Our starters were terrific. They all stepped up in a huge, huge way."

The Tigers had all five starters score in double figures against the Volunteers (16-7, 9-7), a one-time Top 10 team that did make a late charge led by freshmen Keon Johnson and Jared Springer. It wasn't enough.

Devan Cambridge matched his season-high with 15 points and Jamal Johnson scored 14 for the Tigers and had just one turnover while playing out of position at point guard. Jaylin Williams added 13 and JT Thor 10. Williams made 8 of 10 free throws after coming in 17 of 31 for the season.

Johnson led the Vols with 23 points and Springer scored 20 while making 3 of 4 3-pointers. Springer added six assists and five rebounds.

Yves Pons finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Springer made a 3-pointer down the stretch before his steal, basket and subsequent foul shot.

Johnson then added a long jump shot with 20 seconds left, making it 74-70. It was ruled a two-pointer after an official review.

Johnson added a quick layup after Cambridge missed two foul shots, but Flanigan put it away with a pair from the line.