ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Dakota Leffew scored all of his 14 points in the second half, including 10 in a pivotal run, and Georgia beat Vanderbilt 79-68 on Saturday in a regular-season finale for its fourth straight win.
Georgia (20-11, 8-10 SEC) has won 20 regular-season games for only the sixth time in 119 seasons, the last coming in 2014-2015, which was also the last time the Bulldogs played in the NCAA Tournament.
Silas Demary Jr. and Asa Newell added 15 points each and Tyrin Lawrence 13 for Georgia.
Jason Edwards scored 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting with Chris Manon and Jaylen Carey adding 10 points each for the Commodores (20-11, 8-10).
James and Demary hit consecutive 3-pointers in a 15-4 run over five minutes that gave Georgia the game's first double-digit lead at 58-48 with 13 minutes to go.
Vanderbilt replied with an 8-0 run but then didn't score for over six minutes. Leffew hit a 3-pointer and scored 10 of 15 consecutive Georgia points that he capped with a steal and breakaway layup then another 3 to lead 73-56 with 4:25 remaining.
The first half ended in a 39-all tie with 11 lead changes and 10 ties. Edwards had 16 points and Lawrence nine.
Both teams finished in a four-way ninth-place tie with Mississippi State and Arkansas. They will head to Nashville, Tenn., for the conference tournament that runs from Wednesday through March 16.
