Vanderbilt’s Devin McGlockton made two critical plays in the final seconds to help the host Commodores squeak past South Carolina 66-63 on Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.
McGlockton first kept the game tied when he blocked Collin Murray-Boyles’ short jumper with 10 seconds to play. He then won the game for Vanderbilt when he grabbed an offensive rebound, made a lay-up as he was fouled and completed a three-point play with 0.6 seconds left.
McGlockton finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, while A.J. Hoggard paced the Commodores with 14 points and four assists. Jason Edwards chipped in 13 points to help Vanderbilt (14-3, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) snap a two-game skid.
Morris Ugusuk scored a career-high 20 for the Gamecocks (10-7, 0-4) while Murray-Boyles paired 14 points with nine boards. Arden Conyers netted 10 and Jacobi Wright had eight points and 10 rebounds.
South Carolina won the rebounding battle 37-25 but turned the ball over 25 times.
The Commodores led 33-26 at halftime and stayed ahead for most of the second half until the Gamecocks caught up.
South Carolina’s Cam Scott drove the lane and tied the game at 56 with 6:30 left, pulling the Gamecocks even for the first time since it was 22-22 with 3:58 remaining before halftime.
It stayed a one-possession game the rest of the way, though South Carolina never took the lead.
Vanderbilt was up 63-61 when Hoggard drove the lane, lost the ball and then grabbed Murray-Boyles’ ankle as he sped away with possession of it, drawing a foul. Murray-Boyles hit two foul shots with 41 seconds left but the Gamecocks couldn’t capitalize further.
Vanderbilt shot just 36.7 percent in the first half and put South Carolina in the double-bonus with 1:20 left, yet led by seven at the break thanks to 15 Gamecock turnovers.
The first half was a messy defensive stalemate until Vanderbilt mounted a 9-0 run to take a 28-22 lead at the 2:06 mark.
A Hoggard 3, an MJ Collins steal followed by his 3 and then a Hoggard steal that led to an Edwards fastbreak lay-up provided the points.
The Gamecocks were without Vanderbilt transfer Myles Stute and second-leading scorer Jamarii Thomas (12.3 ppg) due to injury, while the Commodores were without key reserve Grant Huffman due to illness.
