Vanderbilt Looks to Stay Hot Against South Carolina

Another SEC classic is set to go down at 6:30 on Tuesday in South Carolina. South Carolina takes on Vanderbilt in their second meeting of the season. In their last matchup, the Commodores were able to pick up the narrow 84-79 overtime win. The bench was the major difference-maker for Vanderbilt in that game. Fifth-year forward Liam Robbins and senior guard Ezra Manjon checked into the game and scored 22 and 24 points respectively. The Commodores bench ended up outscoring the Gamecocks bench 64-10.

South Carolina

The Gamecocks have a 2-10 conference record, which sits at second-to-last in the SEC. They also hold a 9-16 overall record, the worst in the SEC. The brightest spot of the season for South Carolina so far has been freshman forward Gregory “GG” Jackson II. He has averaged a solid 15.7 points per game and leads the Gamecocks in scoring.

In their last game, South Carolina picked up a 64-61 win against Ole Miss. South Carolina duo Hayden Brown and Jacobi Wright were the standouts, scoring 35 combined points. The Gamecocks’ second half defense was what pulled out the win in the end. South Carolina limited Ole Miss to 32% shooting from the field and 0% from the three in the second half. A dominating defense is something that the Gamecocks can use to gain an advantage in future games.

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Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt has improved over its last few games. Currently sitting on a three-game win streak, the Commodores have improved to a positive 13-12 overall record on the season. Their conference win has also quickly improved to 6-6, placing them at No. 8 in the SEC.

In their last game, the Commodores took down the Florida Gators in an 88-80 win in Gainesville. This was an important game in the SEC standings and for tournament placing, as both teams had similar records overall and in conference play. Liam Robbins was once again the star player in the win. The forward scored 32 points to go with 10 rebounds and four steals on the night, taking home SEC player of the week for his performance. Vanderbilt has been able to make something of the season winning three tough conference games in a row. If they can continue with this momentum, they may be able to make a tournament appearance in March.

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SEC Showdown

Both teams are coming off of impressive wins and look to capitalize on their strong form. South Carolina has struggled against conference opponents, but looks to change that with a win against the rolling Commodores. It should be a highly contested game with two teams who are hungry for more of their recent tastes of victory.