Vanderbilt starts hot, but can’t finish in Rupp Arena

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY SportsBryce Drew will win a lot of games at Vanderbilt, but tonight he learned something. You don’t just go into Rupp Arena and run Kentucky out of the gym, and especially not on Senior Night.

Vanderbilt led 25-6 with 8:04 left in the first half. That big lead came in part because of a hot start from Vanderbilt, but also because Kentucky just wasn’t hitting anything. The Wildcats promptly went on a 18-5 run to close out the first half and pull to within 30-24 at the break.

Still, it felt like Vanderbilt had survived the haymakers from Kentucky and was poised to get out of Rupp with a big win, as the Commodores built a 47-34 lead with 13:53 left in the second half. But if…