SEC Tournament 2012: Vanderbilt Shocks Kentucky, 71-64

SEC Tournament 2012: Vanderbilt's John Jenkins Named MVP

The Vanderbilt Commodores took home the 2012 SEC Tournament title with a 71-64 win over the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday. John Jenkins led the way throughout the tourney run, as he has all season. He had 17 points on Sunday and was named tournament MVP after the game for the effort.

The Commodores were very impressive during their run, defeating the Georgia Bulldogs by 22 points on Friday and downing the Ole Miss Rebels by 12 on Saturday. Against the Rebels, Jenkins went off for 23 points, hitting five three pointers for the game. He was the leading scorer in the SEC this season, averaging 20 points per game.

For more on Sunday's game, check out Kentucky blog Sea Of Blue and Vanderbilt blog Anchor Of Gold. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay with this StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills.

Kentucky Vs. Vanderbilt, SEC Championship 2012 Final Score: Commodores Upset Wildcats For Conference Title

VIDEO: Terrence Jones' SEC Championship Game Highlights

Rumble, Terrence Jones, rumble. The Kentucky forward had a nifty first half against Vanderbilt in the SEC Championship game.

Jones had seven points, four rebounds and a steal, but it was *how* he scored those points that was so nice. Check out the highlights below.

What a combination of size and speed:

And good luck boxing him out ...

Vanderbilt center Festus Ezeli has had some nice highlights and Anthony Davis's from-outer-space play is once against reminding us that he might ACTUALLY BE FROM OUTER SPACE. But take your eyes of Jones at your own risk.

For more on these two teams, visit Kentucky blog A Sea of Blue and Vanderbilt blog Anchor of Gold. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on the conference tournaments and Selection Sunday. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay with this StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills, our SEC blog.

Kentucky Vs. Vanderbilt, 2012 SEC Championship Score: Wildcats And Commodores Tied 37-37 At Halftime

The 2012 SEC Tournament championship game tipped off Sunday in New Orleans. The Kentucky Wildcats are all but assured a 1-seed according to the latest bracketology rankings, but they have been getting all they can handle from the Vanderbilt Commodores in pursuit of a perfect conference record. Going into the locker room, the two teams are tied 37-37.

The Commodores went up 26-18 on a 13-2 run. John Jenkins made two threes during the stretch on his way to nine points. The Wildcats were held without a point for over 3:30, but promptly got back on track with a 12-0 run of their own to take a two-point lead. Jeffery Taylor scored seven of Vandy's last nine points of the half, including a pair of free throws to tie the game before intermission. He leads all players with 13 points and five rebounds.

The game has so far featured plenty from a highlight perspective. Vanderbilt enter Festus Ezeli has had his way inside for nine points and three rebounds. He hooked up with Brad Tinsley for a pretty alley-oop.

Following the play, he went down to the other end and rejected a Terrence Jones layup. Not to be outdone, Anthony Davis has been having a field day above the rim. He has six points, three rebounds and a block so far.

Darius Miller has eight points to pace the Wildcats, shooting 4-for-8 from the field. UK is shooting 40 percent overall, compared to 48.1 percent for Vanderbilt. If the first half was any indication, we are headed for an exciting finish in New Orleans.

Sea Of Blue and Vanderbilt blog Anchor Of Gold. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay with this StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills.

Anthony Davis: More Evidence Kentucky Is Playing An Alien

We've already come to the conclusion that Kentucky's Anthony Davis is not of this earth. So far in the SEC Championship game, he's done nothing to convince us otherwise.

Could a human have reached up to collect this rebound? Is there even anyone else playing basketball on this play?

Those arms!

What is gravity? Are Davis' bones hollow like a bird's to allow for maximum elevation? So many totally legitimate questions to ask here.

Keep up with our Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt SEC Championship StoryStream for the score updates, highlights and Roswell files on Davis.

For more on these two teams, visit Kentucky blog A Sea of Blue and Vanderbilt blog Anchor of Gold. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on the conference tournaments and Selection Sunday. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay with this StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills, our SEC blog.

2012 SEC Championship: Kentucky Vs. Vanderbilt Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Kentucky Wildcats are one game away from putting a bow on a perfect SEC regular season and tournament. The only thing left standing is the way is Vanderbilt, with the Commodores and Wildcats set to square off in Sunday's SEC Tournament Championship. Both teams would appear to be safely in the NCAA Tournament field -- Kentucky as a No. 1 seed and Vanderbilt as an at-large, at the very least.

Kentucky hasn't exactly cruised to the SEC Tournament Championship, facing tough tests from LSU and Florida along the way. A nine-point win over LSU in the quarterfinals was closer than it looks, and Florida gave the Wildcats a run on Saturday in the semifinals. Kentucky already appears to have sewn up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, making Sunday's game more of a tune-up and a game for bragging rights.

Vanderbilt has made it look relatively easy in the SEC Tournament by comparison. A 22-point win over Georgia in the quarterfinals was a strong way to begin the tournament and a 12-point win over Ole Miss in the semifinals set up Sunday's matchup with Kentucky.

Here's the information for the SEC Tournament Championship.

Time: 1 p.m. Eastern

TV Information: ABC

Ole Miss Vs. Vanderbilt, SEC Semifinals 2012 Final Score: Commodores Knock Off Rebels, 65-53

The Mississippi Rebels' unlikely run in the SEC Tournament came to an end Saturday afternoon when the fourth-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores' shutdown defense took control in the second half. The Commodores were leading by just two points at halftime but, thanks to timely shooting, extended their lead and won 65-53, advancing to face the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats.

Vanderbilt's best player and leading scorer, John Jenkins, was ice cold in the first half but Ole Miss couldn't do much to stop him once he started to find his rhythm. He made just one of his first eight three pointers but four of his next five, and finished with 23 points to lead all scorers.

Jarvis Summers did all he could to lead the Rebels, who would have certainly secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament had they won this game. He finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists, penetrating effectively against Vanderbilt's guards. None of his teammates could really get going, with the exception of Ladarius White off the bench, who scored 13.

For more on these two teams, visit Ole Miss blog Red Cup Rebellion and Vanderbilt blog Anchor Of Gold. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay with this StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills.

Ole Miss Vs. Vanderbilt Score: Commodores Lead Rebels By 2 After Ugly First Half

The Mississippi Rebels are trying to continue their improbable run through the SEC Tournament Saturday afternoon, and they're locked in a mostly ugly contest against the Vanderbilt Commodores through the first half. The score is 25-23 with Vandy holding a slight lead , and, other than a few highlight-reel dunks, this one hasn't been pretty.

Vanderbilt's star, John Jenkins, is known as being a lights-out shooter, but the rim looks like it has about a one-centimeter diameter to him so far; he's shot 4-12 and 2-9 from the three-point line. The Commodores have stayed relatively disciplined — they've committed only six turnovers — but haven't shot well, as evidenced by their 34.5 percent team field goal percentage.

As poorly as Vandy has shot, the Rebels have been even worse. Jarvis Summers has shot 3-5 and has 11 points, but no one else has been able to get anything to go, and it's resulted in, well, a 23-point first half. Terrance Henry and Nick Williams were key catalysts in the first two rounds of the SEC Tournament, but they have shot a combined 0-8 form the field so far.

For more on these two teams, visit Ole Miss blog Red Cup Rebellion and Vanderbilt blog Anchor Of Gold. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay with this StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills.

Kentucky Vs. Florida, 2012 SEC Semifinals Final Score: Wildcats Hold On For 24th Straight Win, 74-71

The Kentucky Wildcats advance to the championship game of the 2012 SEC Tournament, but not before surviving an exciting see-saw battle with the Florida Gators in New Orleans on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats needed a late rally in the first half to take a one-point lead into intermission. In the second half, a big run midway through proved too much to overcome for the Gators despite their best efforts late.

Through the first 10 minutes of the second half, neither the Florida Gators nor the Kentucky Wildcats held more than a five-point lead at any time, exchanging the lead six times in that span. Doron Lamb woke up the Wildcats midway through the half, however, take a steal coast-to-coast for the layup and a 57-56 lead as part of a 14-0 run.

Terrence Jones hit a 3-pointer a minute later, extending UK's lead to 60-56. On the next possession he scored on a put-back dunk made score to put the Wildcats up six.

Florida pulled back within two points on a 10-3 run of their own, thanks to seven straight points from Erik Murphy capped by a made contested 3-pointer by Bradley Beal.

The two teams then traded baskets, giving Kentucky a 70-68 lead with 14.5 second left on the clock. The Gators promptly put Marquis Teague on the line. He hit both of his free throws to put the Wildcats up four. The Gators turned the ball over on their next possession, and Doron Lamb made both of his attempts from the line to ice the game. Erving Walker made a long 3-pointer just before the buzzer, but it didn't matter. Final score: 76-73, Kentucky.

Murphy scored a career high 24 points on 9-for-12 from the floor. Beal would have had a career high with one more basket, finishing with 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Lamb led Kentucky with 16 points and Anthony Davis picked up his third straight double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Jones' 15 points and nine rebounds at key moments stole the show, however, especially from a highlight perspective.

The Wildcats will face the winner between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Vanderbilt Commodores at 3:29 p.m. ET on Saturday. Sunday's SEC Tournament Championship Game will tip off at 1:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay with this StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills. Check out Alligator Army for everything Gators. Head over to A Sea Of Blue for more on the Wildcats.

Kentucky Vs. Florida Halftime Score: Wildcats Heat Up Late, Take 40-39 Lead Into Intermission

The Kentucky Wildcats didn't take the lead until under 15 seconds to go in the first half against the Florida Gators. Anthony Davis hit a big 3-pointer to cap an 8-0 run for the Wildcats, putting his team up 40-39 going into the locker room during Saturday's 2012 SEC Tournament semifinal.

Both teams have been putting on an impressive display of athleticism. UK's Anthony Davis and Terrence Jones hooked up twice for alley oops, the first to open up the scoring for the Wildcats. Not to be outdone, Casey Prather provided the highlight of the game with a massive dunk for the Gators.

The Gators led by as many as 10 points thanks to some nice shooting from long range, going 5-for-11 from beyond the 3-point arc. Bradley Beal has done it all, scoring inside and out for 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. The Wildcats got hot late, however, making two of their three 3-pointers in the final 2:39 of the half and holding Florida without a field goal for the final 4:24. Davis leads the way with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay withthis StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills. Check out Alligator Army for everything Gators. Head over to A Sea Of Blue for more on the Wildcats.

Kentucky Vs. Florida Score: Gators Up 31-25 Midway Through First Half

The Florida Gators are up 31-25 midway through the first half over the Kentucky Wildcats during Saturday's semifinal game at 2012 SEC Tournament. The Gators are shooting 59 percent from the field, led by 12 points from Bradley Beal on 5-for-6 shooting from the floor.

Casey Prather provided the highlight of the game so far with a posterizing dunk for his only points of the game.

Anthony Davis leads the Wildcats with seven points and three rebounds. He found Terrence Jones twice for near-identical alley-oops, the first to put UK on the board for the first time. Jones has six points.

Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay with this StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills. Check out Alligator Army for everything Gators. Head over to A Sea Of Blue for more on the Wildcats.

2012 SEC Tournament Semifinals, Ole Miss Vs. Vanderbilt: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Semifinal Round of the SEC Tournament tips off on Saturday and continues in the afternoon as the Ole Miss Rebels get set to take on the Vanderbilt. Ole Miss moved on to the Semifinal Round by defeating Tennessee in overtime 77-72 on Friday evening. The Rebels won their second game in a row in the Tournament and will move on to face the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Vanderbilt on the other hand earned themselves a first round bye in the SEC Tournament and played their first game on Friday, taking down the Georgia Bulldogs 63-41 in dominant fashion. In the regular season, the Commodores beat the Rebels by nearly 30 points, 102-76, and will look to once again bounce the Rebels.

Location: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA

Game Date/Time: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: ABC

For more on these two teams, visit Ole Miss blog Red Cup Rebellion and Vanderbilt blog Anchor Of Gold. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay withthis StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills.

SEC Tournament 2012: Bracket And Schedule For Saturday's Semifinals

The 2012 SEC Tournament continues on Saturday with the semifinal round, live on ABC. One team is looking to crash the party and steal an auto-bid on one side of the bracket while the other semifinal pits two of the conference titans against one another.

In the first matchup of the day, Kentucky will face Florida in a rematch of the final regular season game. Kentucky ran the table in the SEC, finishing a perfect 16-0 while pushing its overall record to 31-1. The Wildcats looked shaky early on Friday before hitting the throttle and dropping LSU by nine. Florida got a test from Alabama in the other quarterfinal matchup, hanging on for a three-point win.

On the other side of the bracket, Ole Miss is staying alive, hoping to somehow snag the auto-bid. The Rebs knocked off Tennessee in overtime on Friday to keep the dream alive. They'll face Vanderbilt in the second semifinal after the Commodores easily downed Georgia in the nightcap on Friday.

Here's the schedule for Saturday's semifinals. For the full tournament bracket head over here.

1 p.m.: Kentucky vs. Florida on ABC
3:30 p.m.: Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt on ABC

All times Eastern

SEC Tournament 2012, Florida Vs. Kentucky: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Florida Gators will take on the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats in Saturday's 2012 SEC Tournament semifinal game in New Orleans. Both teams survived scares from lower-seeded teams in the quarterfinals to advance.

Vanderbilt Vs. Georgia Final Score: Commodores Advance With 63-41 Victory

The Georgia Bulldogs pulled off a surprising upset win over Mississippi State on Thursday, but their potential dream run to a shock NCAA Tournament bid is now over. They simply didn't have enough offense for the Vanderbilt Commodores on Friday night, with Vandy going on to win 61-43 to advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals.

Dustin Ware came off the bench to lead Georgia in scoring with 10 points, and he was the only Georgia player in double figures. The Bulldogs' starting five combined for just 15 points of offense. Turnovers and outside shooting were the undoing of the 'Dogs, as they coughed up the ball 17 times and shot just 2-17 from behind the arc.

Vanderbilt wasn't spectacular offensively, but was so good defensively that it didn't matter. They shot 44 percent from the floor and 24 percent from behind the arc on 6-25 shooting. Four Commodores scored in double figures and John Jenkins led the way with 15 points.

Vandy moves on to face the Ole Miss Rebels, who likely need a win to keep their hopes of going to the NCAA Tournament alive.

For more on the two teams, head over to Vanderbilt Commodores blog Anchor Of Gold and Georga Bulldogs blog Dawg Sports. For more on the entire tournament, keep it on our SEC Tournament StoryStream.

SEC Tournament 2012 Bracket Update: Ole Miss Stays Alive, Upsets Tennessee In OT

The Mississippi Rebels, the SEC Tournament's seventh seed, upset the second-seeded Tennessee Volunteers in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament, 77-72, a shocking result that could alter the landscape of the NCAA tournament. They will face the winner of Vanderbilt-Georgia in the semifinals. You can view the full bracket here.

The Rebels knew they had very little chance of making the NCAA tournament without a deep run in the SEC tournament, and they certainly put every ounce of effort they had into continuing their season. They harassed the heavily favored Volunteers into bad shots all night, especially down the stretch. They didn't play especially well on offense, but played just insane defense. Tennessee shot 27.7 percent from the field, an astoundingly low rate.

The motor for the Vols was Jerome Maymon, who grabbed 17 rebounds, 10 of which were on the offensive glass, though there were enough misses to go around. He fouled out with about three minutes to go in overtime. The hero, however, was Skylar McBee, who banked in a three-pointer with mere seconds left on the clock in regulation to send the game into overtime. Once in overtime, he was really the only Volunteer making a positive impact, hitting clutch three-pointers to shrink the Rebels' lead from seven to four on two occasions. He scored 15 points, all on three-pointers, and he has a sweet mustache.

The story of this game, really, was the Rebels' hustle. It seems cliché, but they simply wanted this one a little more. Jarvis Summers was monumental in the clutch, finishing the game with 17 points, and Reginald Buckner, before fouling out with less than a minute left in the overtime, had 14 points, nine rebounds and did a good job negating, at least somewhat, Maymon's contributions on the glass.

For more on these two teams, visit Ole Miss blog Red Cup Rebellion and Tennessee blog Rocky Top Talk. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay withthis StoryStream, visit Team Speed Kills.

Florida Vs. Alabama Final Score And Game Recap: Gators Hold Off JaMychal Green And The Crimson Tide, 66-63

The Florida Gators never trailed at any point following the opening tip-off, but the Alabama Crimson Tide hung tough with the favored Gators. Down by 12 midway through the second half, the Tide clawed back thanks to 22 points from JaMychal Green, 14 of which came in the final 10 minutes of regulation. It wasn't enough, however, as the Gators hung on for a 66-63 win to advance to the 2012 SEC Tournament semifinals.

Green also had 10 rebounds, leading the Tide to a 30-25 advantage on the boards. They also outshot the Gators, 53.3 to 38.5 percent from the field. Florida did a much better job limiting turnovers, however, giving the ball away just five times. They also relied heavily on shots from beyond the 3-point line, going 10-for-30 from long range compared to 3-for-8 for the Tide.

Bradley Beal made three treys on his way to 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Erik Murphy had 15 points and three blocks, and Kenny Boynton chipped in 14 points with three 3-pointers of his own. The Gators will face the Kentucky Wildcats in the next round at 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will be televised live on ABC.

Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay with this StoryStream and check out Team Speed Kills.

Kentucky Vs. LSU Final Score: Wildcats Come Back To Win Quarterfinal

The 2012 SEC Tournament had the upset alert blinking as the No. 8 seed LSU Tigers pulled within one point of the consensus No. 1 team in the country and top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats at halftime, but a strong second half surge sealed the 60-51 win for UK. Poor shooting doomed the Tigers, as they shot just 29.4 percent from the field (20-68) and did not have a single player who made even half of their attempts. Meanwhile, Kentucky played an especially sloppy game. They recorded just eight assists as a team, committed 18 turnovers and emerged from the mess with Marquis Teague as the only player with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.

Teague's five assists still got overshadowed by his four turnovers and two points on 0-5 shooting, however, as the offense never quite found a rhythm. Despite a semi-respectable 42.9 percent mark from the floor, Kentucky didn't play their best offensive game by a long shot. A top-heavy performance from the Wildcats featured a game-high 19 points from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on a hyper-efficient 5-8 shooting, as he and Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb and Anthony Davis combined to score 58 of the team's 60 total points and grab 37 of the 39 rebounds.

Davis did most of the work on the glass, pulling down 14 boards to augment his 12 points ans six blocks and offset his four turnovers, while Terrance Jones added a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double and Lamb pumped in 12 points of his own.

Storm Warren scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Tigers in the loss, while freshman guard Anthony Hickey added to the attack in diverse ways, including 10 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds.

Kentucky now awaits the winner of the semifinal matchup between the No. 4 Florida Gators and the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay with this StoryStream, visit Team Speed Kills and check out Kentucky blog A Sea of Blue.

SEC Tournament, Kentucky Vs. LSU: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The 2012 SEC Tournament will continue on Friday afternoon with the top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats taking on the LSU Tigers. Kentucky is ranked as the top team in the nation as well as the SEC, but there have been a few pundits predicting an upset for them at some point in the SEC tourney.

The Wildcats lost just once during the regular season, on a buzzer-beater no less, but they've gone on a tremendous streak ever since that Dec. 10 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers. They'll look to continue said streak at 1 p.m. ET on Friday as John Calipari's team tries to dispatch the Tigers in a game on ESPNU.

LSU obviously has its hands full considering they're playing the top team in college basketball and their lone meeting during the regular season ended with a 24-point loss. The Tigers mustered just one double-digit point performance from a starter in that game as forward Johnny O'Bryant III had 11 points. LSU looked solid in their first-round game, though, as O'Bryant came off the bench to score 18 points while the team made 50 percent of their field goal attempts.

Kentucky is of course led by Anthony Davis, though Doron Lamb, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones and Darius Miller have all shown that they're capable of carrying the team when called upon.

The winner of Friday afternoon's game will play the winner of a later matchup featuring Florida and Alabama in the semifinals of the SEC tournament.

Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay withthis StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills.

SEC Tournament 2012: Bracket And Schedule For Friday's Quarterfinals

Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt each join the SEC Tournament on Friday after receiving a free pass into the quarterfinals by virtue of their regular season record. They'll face Thursday's winners as the tournament inches closer to handing out its auto-bid on Sunday, just before the selections are announced.

LSU earned the right to face Kentucky with a win over Arkansas on Thursday, which probably isn't the best reward for the Tigers. Alabama also moved on after its win over South Carolina in the second matchup of the day. Ole Miss will face Tennessee thanks to a win over Auburn, and Georgia upset Mississippi State in the night cap.

Here is the full schedule for Friday's SEC Tournament quarterfinal matchups. The full tournament bracket can be found here.

1:00 p.m.: LSU vs. Kentucky on the SEC Network
3:30 p.m.: Alabama vs. Florida on the SEC Network
7:30 p.m.: Ole Miss vs. Tennessee on the SEC Network
10:00 p.m.: Georgia vs. Vanderbilt on the SEC Network

All times Eastern

Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness. For more on the SEC Tournament, stay with this StoryStream or visit Team Speed Kills.

SEC Tournament Update: Georgia Upsets Mississippi State, 71-61

Georgia stayed alive for the 2012 NCAA Tournament with a big win in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday. And Mississippi State, the Peach State Bulldogs' victim in a 71-61 loss, may be squarely on the bubble.

Gerald Robinson led all scorers with 23 points for the Dawgs, who got 47 points off their bench from Robinson, Nemanja Djurisic, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and just 24 from their five starters. Georgia will need to win the SEC Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament field.

The Bulldogs from what used to be the SEC West in basketball are probably still on the good side of the NCAA Tournament cutline, but their uninspiring showing in New Orleans won't help matters. Jalen Steele had 19 points to lead Mississippi State, but the Bulldogs' big three of Arnett Moultrie, Dee Bost, and Renardo Sidney combined for just 21 points.

For updates and coverage, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For more on the SEC Tournament, be sure to visit SB Nation's Team Speed Kills. For more on the two teams, head over to Georgia blog Dawg Sports and Mississippi State blog Mississippi State blog For Whom the Cowbell Tolls.

SEC Tournament Bracket Update: Ole Miss Dispatches Scandal-Ridden Auburn In First Round

Playing just hours after revelations surfaced of an alleged point-shaving operation happening in their midst, the 10th-seeded Auburn Tigers lost to the seventh-seeded Mississippi Rebels, 68-54, in the first round of the SEC Tournament.

The Tigers kept it close for most of the first half before the Rebels started to pull away, extending their lead to double-digits just over two minutes into the second half. Auburn struggled to shoot the ball from just about everywhere on the floor — 32.7 percent from the field, 23.8 percent from deep and 65 percent from the foul line — and committed 13 turnovers, always a recipe for a tough day at the gym. Frankie Sullivan led the team in scoring with 15 points, but shot a woeful 1-11 from behind the arc, which isn't the way to pull off an upset.

The Rebels didn't fare much better, actually. This wasn't one of the prettier games you'll see, as the Rebs turned the ball over 18 times, though they did shoot a palatable 43.8 percent from the floor. They were led by a fantastic performance from junior guard Nick Williams, who scored 22 points on 9-14 shooting. Forward Murphy Holloway had an impressive double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. They go on to play the second-seeded Tennessee Volunteers on Friday.

For more on these two teams, visit Ole Miss blog Red Cup Rebellion, Auburn blog Track Em Tigers and SEC blog Team Speed Kills.

Alabama Vs. South Carolina Final Score And Recap: Tide Roll On With 63-57 Win

It wasn't necessarily an impressive performance, but the No. 5-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide survived a bit of a scare to outlast the No. 12-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks, 63-57, in the SEC Tournament's first round on Thursday.

The Tide built an 11-point first-half lead and seemed well on their way to an easy victory, but the Gamecocks (10-21, 2-14 SEC) came roaring back and eventually tied the score 51-51 on a Brenton Williams 3-pointer with 6:38 remaining.

That seemed to wake up Alabama (21-10). JaMychal Green grabbed the lead back with a jumper at 5:29 and the Tide never trailed again. The closest the Gamecocks ever got after that was three points.

Trevor Lacey came off the bench to lead the Tide in scoring with 15 points in just 18 minutes of playing time, and Green snagged seven rebounds to go with his 12 points. The Gamecocks were led by Damien Leonard's 13 points, but he shot just 4-of-13 from the field.

For the complete box score, check out SI.com. Also be sure to check out Alabama blog Roll 'Bama Roll and South Carolina blog Garnet and Black Attack.

Arkansas Vs. LSU Final Score: Tigers Into Quarterfinals With 70-54 Win

In front of a partisan crowd at a supposedly neutral site, the LSU Tigers defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks on Thursday in the first round of the SEC Tournament. The Hogs struggled in the second half after an even first half, as the Tigers played well on both ends in a 70-54 win.

Arkansas shot the ball poorly, making just 36 percent of their shots from the floor. They were also significantly out-dueled on the boards by LSU, who won the rebounding battle 39-24. Johnny O'Bryant III of LSU led all scorers with 18 points, but it was a very well-rounded offensive effort from the Tigers on the day. A total of five of their players scored in double figures, while the only starter who did not -- Anthony Hickey -- led the team with seven assists.

For their efforts, LSU has won a date with the Kentucky Wildcats in the quarterfinals. Oh well, good tournament, you guys!

For more on the two teams, head over to LSU Tigers blog And The Valley Shook and Arkansas Razorbacks blog Arkansas Expats.

SEC Tournament 2012 Schedule: Day 1's Bracket Begins With LSU Vs. Arkansas

The 2012 SEC Tournament takes place at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, La., and the No. 8 LSU Tigers are in home territory for Thursday's game against the No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks. Of course, should the Tigers advance, the No. 1-seed, national poll-leading Kentucky Wildcats await them Friday afternoon.

With Kentucky, the No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers, the No. 3 Vanderbilt Commodores and the No. 4 Florida Gators all waiting for their Friday games, we won't see many major upsets on Day 1. Thursday's Game 2 might be the only contest that could result in an upset: the No. 12 South Carolina Gamecocks won just two games in the SEC this season and will go up against the nine-win No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide.

A full 2012 SEC Tournament bracket can be found here (PDF). Below is the complete schedule for Day 1:

Thursday, March 8

No. 8 LSU vs. No. 9 Arkansas, 1 p.m., SEC Network
No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 South Carolina, 3:30 p.m., SEC Network
No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Auburn, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
No. 6 Mississippi State vs. No. 11 Georgia, 10 p.m., SEC Network

Head over to SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes on conference tournaments and the rest of March Madness.

SEC Tournament 2012 Bracket And Schedule

No. 1 Kentucky is the overwhelming favorite in the SEC Tournament, which starts on Thursday.