Vanderbilt learned the hard way that a projected No. 1 seed means nothing in the SEC. Less than 24 hours after the NCAA unveiled the Commodores as one of four top seeds in its first Top 16 reveal of the season, unranked Georgia knocked off Shea Ralph’s squad, 76-74, inside a rocking Stegeman Coliseum, delivering the kind of result that sends bracket projection models into a tailspin.
Sophomore guard Dani Carnegie torched Vanderbilt for 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting, pouring in 18 before halftime and consistently attacking a Commodore defense that had no answer for her downhill drives. Trinity Turner delivered the dagger with a mid-range jumper with 50 seconds remaining, giving Georgia a 75-74 lead it would not relinquish.
What Georgia’s Upset Means for Vanderbilt’s 1-Seed Status in March
The timing could not have been worse for Vanderbilt. On Saturday, the selection committee announced the Commodores as the fourth No. 1 seed, slotting them into the Sacramento regional alongside Michigan, TCU, and Maryland. The committee pointed to Vanderbilt’s resume, which included wins over Michigan, LSU, and Oklahoma, in addition to a Thursday victory over Texas. By Sunday afternoon, that resume had a blemish that will be difficult to explain away.
Georgia held Vanderbilt to 37% shooting from the floor, a remarkable defensive effort against one of the nation’s most potent offenses. The Bulldogs rotated on screens, challenged Mikayla Blakes at every catch point, and forced the Commodores into contested mid-range attempts rather than the clean looks they typically generate. Blakes still finished with 27 points, though 19 of those came from the free-throw line. Justine Pissott added 23 on five 3-pointers, but the two stars combined for 50 of Vanderbilt’s 74 points. Nobody else stepped up.
The loss drops Vanderbilt to 24-3 overall and 10-3 in SEC play, putting the Commodores 1.5 games behind South Carolina in the conference race. With the regular season winding down, Vanderbilt’s path to a league title now requires help from elsewhere. The Commodores can still lock up a high seed in the NCAA Tournament, but Sunday’s result will force the committee to reconsider whether Vanderbilt belongs on the top line when Selection Sunday arrives.
For Georgia, this was a breakthrough. The Bulldogs had not beaten a top-five opponent since knocking off No. 2 NC State in overtime back in December 2021. They had not beaten a top-five team at Stegeman Coliseum since Jan. 21, 2010, when they upset No. 3 Tennessee, 53-50. Both of those droughts ended Sunday.
Carnegie and Turner Lead Georgia’s Sophomore Surge
Katie Abrahamson-Henderson’s program is ahead of schedule. The Bulldogs improved to 20-6 overall and reached 20 wins faster than any Georgia team since the 2017-18 season. Three of those victories have come against top-20 opponents, giving Georgia legitimate NCAA Tournament credentials in a conference that will likely send 10 or more teams to the field.
Carnegie has been the engine all season. She now has 12 games of 20 or more points this year, and her ability to draw fouls and convert at the line has proven decisive in tight games. When Vanderbilt made its fourth-quarter push and grabbed a five-point lead, Carnegie answered with free throws. When the Commodores collapsed on her drives, she found Mia Woolfolk, who scored 11 of her 19 points in the final frame.
Turner’s go-ahead bucket exemplified what this Georgia team can be at its best. With the shot clock winding down and Vanderbilt’s defense set, Turner created space off the dribble and buried a contested mid-range shot that will live in Stegeman lore. After Carnegie split a pair of free throws with 22.2 seconds remaining, Sacha Washington’s floater at the buzzer fell short off the front rim as time expired.
Georgia hosts No. 10 Oklahoma on Thursday, another opportunity to bolster a tournament resume that looks stronger by the week. For Vanderbilt, the road trip to Athens served as a reminder that in the SEC, nobody is safe. Not even a team with a 1-seed projection and the nation’s leading scorer. Especially not the day after the committee puts a target on your back.