Vanderbilt played with fire all game, never building much of a lead and in fact trailing for quite a bit throughout. In the end, it got them burned as Murray State's Danero Thomas hit a jumper at the buzzer to take out the Commodores 66-65.
This one was tight the whole way, with the largest lead of the game being a Murray State eight point advantage in the second half. Vandy battle back though, and a pair of Jermaine Beal free throws put VU up by a point with 12 seconds to go. Murray State's B.J. Jenkins missed a three with eight seconds to go, but the ball ended up out of bounds off Vandy with four ticks on the clock. The Racers then ran an in bounds play that was well-guarded by the Commodores, but Thomas hit a contest shot and that was that.
John Jenkins was the high man for the 'Dores with 13, and Beal and A.J. Ogilvy were right behind him with 12 apiece. Isacc Miles led the Racers with 17 points and seven boards, while Jenkins had 14 and Thomas had 11. This is the second consecutive time that an overseeded Vandy has been bounced by a 13 seed in the first round after Siena beat the Commodores in their last tourney appearance in '08.