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Mark Byington praises Vandy faithful for elite environment during upset of Tennessee
Mark Byington and the Vanderbilt Commodores pulled off an upset of the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday in Nashville.
The Commodores escaped with a 76-75 win over No. 6 Tennessee and earned their first win over their in-state rival in 2 years. After the game, Byington credited the fans in attendance for the victory.
“I was so happy for the fans and our players,” said Byington. “We’re trying to build something here, we’re trying to get people to believe. The crowd was amazing today.”
The Commodores had a sold-out crowd at Memorial Gymnasium on Saturday, which has not been a common occurrence of late. To be fair, about half of the crowd were Tennessee fans, but the Commodores fans showed out as well.
“Just seeing everybody get what they want and I know what they deserve, and I was just happy for everybody,” said Byington.
The win improves the Commodores to 15-3 overall and 3-2 in the SEC. The 15-3 start is Vanderbilt’s best start over 18 games since the 2009-10 season.
On Saturday, Jason Edwards led the Commodores with 18 points. The junior guard also added 3 assists and 2 rebounds in the game. Jaylen Carey excelled off the bench, recording a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Commodores outrebounded the Vols 29-25 and outscored the team in the paint 34-28.
Next on the docket for the Commodores is a road game at No.4 Alabama. The Vols, meanwhile, will return home to take on No. 15 Mississippi State.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.