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Vanderbilt is headed home after a hard-fought effort vs. Saint Mary’s.
The Commodores fell 59-56 to Saint Mary’s in the Round of 64 on Friday afternoon. Vandy led by double-digits in the 2nd half, but the Gaels were able to claw their way back and ended up prevailing in the end.
Vanderbilt had multiple 3-point shots to the tie the game in the closing seconds, but couldn’t quite convert. Here’s a clip from that sequence:
Jason Edwards led Vandy with 18 points in the loss. However, he was the only Vandy player to score in double figures in this game. Vandy as a team shot 40% from the field and 30% from 3-point range.
The SEC has now lost 5 teams from its original 14 NCAA Tournament bids. Texas, Mizzou, Mississippi State and Georgia have also already been eliminated. However, of that group, only Missouri was a favorite in its first-round matchup.
Overall, it was a successful season for Vandy in Year 1 under Mark Byington. The Commodores reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 this year, but advancing will have to wait at least one more season.
Saint Mary’s will now advance to face Alabama in the Round of 32.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
