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Tyrin Lawrence buzzer-beater ends Vanderbilt's 11-game losing streak to No. 5 Tennessee

Vanderbilt men's basketball ended its 11-game losing streak to Tennessee with a Tyrin Lawrence buzzer-beater to give the Commodores a 66-65 win on Wednesday at Memorial Gymnasium.

The streak spanned six years and two different coaches, but a wide-open corner 3-pointer from Lawrence as time expired gave Vanderbilt (12-12, 5-6 SEC) the win. It was the Commodores' first win over a top-10 team since 2016.

No. 5 Tennessee's scoring drought of more than four minutes late in the second half allowed the Commodores to make a run, and the two teams went back and forth from that point. The Vols (19-5, 8-3) took the lead with just under a minute left and Vanderbilt missed its shot on its ensuing possession.

Vanderbilt guard Tyrin Lawrence (0) shoots a three point basket at the buzzer to defeat Tennessee 66 to 65 at Memorial Gymnasium Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn.
Vanderbilt guard Tyrin Lawrence (0) shoots a three point basket at the buzzer to defeat Tennessee 66 to 65 at Memorial Gymnasium Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn.

Vanderbilt was forced to foul late but had fouls to give before putting Tennessee in the bonus, running valuable time off the clock. The Commodores were forced to foul five times in 18 seconds to put the Vols on the line. 

When they finally did, Tennessee missed the front half of a one-and-one and Vanderbilt got the rebound and called timeout to draw up the winning play. Despite a security presence, students stormed the court after the winning shot.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt upsets No. 5 Tennessee on buzzer-beater