Chatman scores 24 points, Vanderbilt beats No. 25 LSU 75-66

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Rodney Chatman scored a season-high 24 points, making 6 of 10 from 3-point range, and Vanderbilt beat No. 25 LSU 75-66 Saturday for the Commodores’ biggest win this season.

Vanderbilt (12-10, 4-6 Southeastern Conference) now has won two of its last three. Coach Jerry Stackhouse is now 2-9 against top 25 teams, and both have come against LSU and coach Will Wade, a Nashville native, inside Memorial Gym on the same date.

With the victory, the Commodores also matched their most wins since going 12-20 in the 2017-18 season.

Scotty Pippen Jr., the SEC’s leading scorer averaging 19.3 points a game, was held to seven points and nine assists.

Myles Stute helped Vanderbilt protect its lead in the second half by knocking down three of his five 3-pointers. He finished with 17 points. Jordan Wright added 13.

LSU (16-7, 4-6) now has lost three straight and six of seven. Tari Eason led LSU with 16 points, 14 in the second half. Eric Gaines had 14, and Darius Days added 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Eason and Gaines tried to rally LSU with 9:47 left. They started a 16-0 spurt with a pair of layups, and the Tigers forced six turnovers as Vanderbilt suddenly couldn’t get the ball over half-court. Eason hit two free throws, then dunked pulling LSU within 69-64 — the tightest margin since early in the game.

Pippen made a free throw for Vanderbilt, then Stute got a steal and Chatman sealed the win with his sixth 3 with 3:27 left.

LSU led 11-6 when Vanderbilt scored 10 straight to take control, with the Tigers missing seven straight shots.

Chatman, a graduate student who played his first two seasons at Chattanooga and two more at Dayton, had a season-high with 16 points by halftime. Vanderbilt led by as much as 20 before taking a 43-25 lead into halftime.

LSU never got closer than 11, the last on a 3-pointer by Gaines with 15:49 left.

BIG PICTURE

LSU: The Tigers struggled with 3-pointers, making only 1 of 8 in the first half. And a defense that is the SEC’s best, and fifth nationally, defending against the 3 gave up a season-high 13.

Vanderbilt: The Commodores played without center Liam Robbins, who made his season debut in Wednesday night’s loss at Kentucky. They didn’t miss the 7-footer as they dominated the boards with a 22-10 edge by halftime.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

This loss should be enough to finally drop LSU out of the top 25 after being ranked nine straight weeks.

FOSTER HONORED

Shan Foster, Vanderbilt’s all-time leading scorer with 2,011 points, had his jersey retired at halftime. He becomes the fifth Vanderbilt player, men’s or women’s, to have his jersey retired.

UP NEXT

LSU: Visits Texas A&M on Tuesday night.

Vanderbilt: Hosts Missouri on Tuesday night before a two-game road swing against a pair of ranked teams.

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