ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF
The Vanderbilt Commodores (14-12, 7-6 SEC) went on the road Tuesday night to face the South Carolina Gamecocks (9-17, 2-11 SEC) and came away with a 75-64 win.
Vanderbilt entered on a three-game win-streak and was looking to keep their March Madness tournament hopes alive.
South Carolina, conversely, came in with a 2-8 record in their last 10 games and was simply looking to string together back-to-back wins.
Game Trends
The Commodores started hot, going on a 15-2 run to open things up.
South Carolina did respond, though, by going on an 8-3 run following the scorching Vanderbilt start. However, after taking the initial lead, the Commodores never looked back.
They went into halftime leading the Gamecocks 38-18. Vanderbilt held South Carolina to 8-28 from the field and just 2-14 from deep.
That's how the first half ends. pic.twitter.com/O8hj2hKmqL
— Vanderbilt Men's Basketball (@VandyMBB) February 15, 2023
The second-half started off with more of the same for the Commodores.
South Carolina struggled to fight back – mainly due to Vanderbilt’s effort on the boards. The Commodores grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and scored 22 second-chance points.
The Gamecocks did cut the deficit to nine with 38 seconds remaining, but too little came too late after trailing by double-digits for the majority of the final 20 minutes.
Vanderbilt took care of business from the charity stripe and held on to win 75-64. The win marked Vanderbilt’s fourth straight victory.
4️⃣ in a row! @VandyMBB with a double-digit win over South Carolina! #SECMBB pic.twitter.com/bRtUn9x0TE
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) February 15, 2023
Game Stats
Four Vanderbilt starters scored in double-digits.
Senior forward Liam Robbins led the way with 24 points to go along with eight rebounds and two blocks, while senior guard Ezra Manjon contributed 15 points himself to go along with six assists.
The Commodores dominated the paint, outrebounding South Carolina 48-34, which ended up being a major factor in a winning effort.
Liam Robbins is a problem. pic.twitter.com/hCBdYRPSoz
— Vanderbilt Men's Basketball (@VandyMBB) February 15, 2023
For the Gamecocks, backcourt play produced the bulk of their buckets.
Junior guard Meechie Johnson led the team in scoring with 19 points to pair with three rebounds and assists.
Senior guard Chico Carter Jr. poured in 15 points on 3-5 from beyond the arc.
Down to 11 after this @MeechieJohnson0 3. Stops and buckets, fellas. 👷♂️🤙
📺 » SEC Network
💻 » https://t.co/ewALmVZrI5
📊 » https://t.co/KPDyzpnPAy#Gamecocks // #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/hqCHEtMcCd— Gamecock Men's Basketball (@GamecockMBB) February 15, 2023
Vanderbilt and South Carolina Looking Ahead
The Commodores’ tournament hopes were kept alive with the victory, as it elevated them to seventh in the SEC standings. As winners of their last four games, they’re heating up at the right time. Vanderbilt will next be in action Saturday when they host the Auburn Tigers and look to extend their winning streak to five.
The Gamecocks fall to 13th in the SEC with the loss and are all but eliminated from tournament contention. They’ll look to turn things around Saturday when they travel to face the mightily struggling LSU Tigers.
