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Vanderbilt holds off slumping Georgia

Feb 7, 2008 - 7:34 AM ATHENS, Georgia (Ticker) -- Behind Alex Gordon and Ross Neltner, Vanderbilt finally tasted some success in a Southeastern Conference road game.

Gordon scored 14 points and Neltner added 13 to lead the 20th-ranked Commodores to a 67-59 victory over Georgia on Wednesday.

Vanderbilt had struggled in SEC road games, losing its first four. The Commodores' first conference road win of the season was not wrapped up until Gordon hit a pair of free throws with 32 seconds to play, capping the scoring.

"We needed a quality win on the road and we got it," Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. "We have been getting a lot of grief for not being able to win on the road and tonight we had a tough opponent and a tough game but it was nice to get the monkey off our back.

"It is tough to win in the SEC and tonight was no different."

Those free throws were Gordon's only points of the second half. He scored 12 points in the first 20 minutes to help stake the Commodores (19-4, 4-4 SEC East) to a 37-30 lead.

Georgia had won 10 of its first 11 home games and pulled within 58-57 with 4:20 remaining on a pair of free throws by Sundiata Gaines. But Neltner answered for Vanderbilt.

He hit a jumper with 1:57 remaining to extend the lead to 63-59. Neltner then made it 65-59 with just under a minute to play after he picked up a loose ball and drove for a layup.

"This game was very similar to the last two," Georgia coach Dennis Felton. "We were in position to win going into the closing minute or two, but we just couldn't make the play. (Ross) Neltner hit a huge jump shot with the clock running down. We didn't guard him urgently enough. He got a decent look and he made the shot."

Shan Foster, who entered the game averaging 19 points, had 13 points and freshman A.J. Ogilvy added 12 for the Commodores.

"The difference in the game is we made the timely shots necessary to win," Stallings said. "We both played hard and competed, but we made the timely shots."

Gaines had 16 points and 11 rebounds and freshman Jeremy Price scored 16 for Georgia (11-9, 2-5), which has lost four straight.

The game essentially came down to the Bulldogs' inability to score in the closing minutes of each half. Georgia scored just five points in the last 7:30 of the first half, and managed only nine points in the closing nine minutes of the game.

"We had our opportunities," Felton said. "We failed to make some shots. It was the story of the game. I'm disappointed in the way we defended. We didn't defend with enough tenacity. We didn't force enough turnovers. You have to put pressure on them."