Ezra Manjon swished a game-winning fallaway jumper at the buzzer and Ven-Allen Lubin scored a career-high 25 points to send Vanderbilt to a 74-73 victory over visiting Texas A&M on Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn.
Playing through an apparent ankle injury that sidelined him for a stretch midway through the second half, Manjon scored 19 points for the Commodores (7-17, 2-9 Southeastern Conference). Evan Taylor added 12 points for Vanderbilt, which held the Aggies (15-9, 6-5) without a field goal over the final 3:54 of the game.
Wade Taylor IV (18 points) and Tyrece Radford (17) paced the Aggies, who shot 51.1 percent and went 8-for-18 from long range. Henry Coleman III chipped in 13 points and Jace Carter had 11.
Trailing 66-63 after Lubin hit a jumper with 4:42 to go, the Aggies grabbed the lead as Carter and Taylor IV delivered treys over a 36-second span. The Commodores tied the game at 69 on Taylor’s fadeaway baseline jumper with 3:06 left.
Manjon’s corner 3 put Vanderbilt ahead 72-69 with 1:04 remaining. The Aggies drew to within a point on a pair of Radford free throws with 48 seconds left. Carter blocked a Manjon layup on the ensuing Commodores’ possession, but Vanderbilt secured the offensive rebound.
Lubin missed a jumper and A&M got the rebound, setting up Radford for two go-ahead free throws with 13 seconds left.
That set the stage for Manjon, who needed assistance from the training staff to get to the bench when he left the floor earlier in the half. His buzzer-beater stopped the Aggies’ winning streak at three games.
Lubin, who netted his previous career high of 19 points while playing for Notre Dame last season, led Vanderbilt with five rebounds. Andersson Garcia paced A&M with six boards.
Neither team led by more than four points. A&M made all 17 of its free-throw attempts.
The Aggies overcame eight turnovers and an eight-point deficit in points in the paint to take a 31-30 advantage to the locker room. Texas A&M benefited from slightly sharper shooting – 43.5 percent compared to 37 — and a plus-10 advantage under the boards.
Lubin was the only Vanderbilt player to score during the game’s first 6:39. He tallied each of his first-half points consecutively before Manjon’s layup with 13:21 to go before the break gave Vanderbilt a 13-12 edge.
–Field Level Media