Vanderbilt went into Gainesville with a four-game losing streak and an 8-10 record in Bryce Drew’s first season.
So, naturally, the Commodores did the improbable. Vanderbilt was a 13-point underdog heading into the game and instead stunned the #19 Florida Gators, 68-66. Matthew Fisher-Davis scored 19 points to lead the Commodores, but it was Nolan Cressler who came up big late for Vanderbilt. With Vanderbilt nursing a one-point lead with a minute and a half left, Cressler grabbed a defensive rebound and immediately ran into Florida’s Devin Robinson. An admittedly questionable foul call sent Cressler to the line for a pair of free throws that he made, and on Vanderbilt’s next possession, Cressler drove baseline and made a layup to give Vanderbilt a four-point lead with 36 seconds left.