Despite having just seven active scholarship players on its basketball team, the Vanderbilt Commodores (13-8, 5-4) beat the Tennessee Vols (14-8, 5-4) 64-60.
Rod Odom scored a career-high 26 points that included four 3-pointers, and Kyle Fuller added 12 point and 10 assists for the Commodores. Odom and Fuller both played 38 minutes while guard Dai-Jon (mustard) Parker played all 40 minutes. Interesting tidbit: Parker’s played all 40 minutes in five-straight games. Damn.
Jordan McRae led the Vols with 16 points but needed 18 shots to get there. Josh Richardson added 14 points on 6-12 shooting.
Here’s a look a few of the other stories that developed on Wednesday.
Starting Slow
“We definitely came out a little flat,” Jordan McRae said. “It was tough playing from then on.”
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Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
The Vols led the game early, 9-6, but couldn’t maintain thanks in part to some porous defense. Following the under-12 media timeout, Vanderbilt went on a 11-4 run consisting of four layups and an Odom 3-pointer. UT found itself down 10 points at the half.
“We got off to a slow start,” Cuonzo Martin said. “It was an energy thing, we were still executing our plans and did a great job with that.”
Vandy shot 60 percent during the first period as Odom and Fuller combined to shoot 11-16 from the field and score 26 of the Commodores’ 36 points. 20 of those 36 points came inside the paint as Fuller penetrated and got into the teeth of the Tennessee defense several times.
Before halftime, the Vanderbilt point guard made four layups and assisted on one third of the Commodores’ made baskets. Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings credited Fuller’s decision making at the hoop as a catalyst for the Vandy offense.
“We were fortunate that he got there (to the basket), and the best thing that he did, not only did he get there, but his decisions were great,” Stallings said. “He shot it when he should shoot it, he passed it when he should pass it, so the decisions he made once he got there were great.”
What’s the Low Down Down Low?
Though Tennessee’s duo of Jarnell Stokes and Jeronne Maymon combined for 20 points and 25 rebounds, and the Vols outrebounded the Commodores 41-26, Vanderbilt outscored Tennessee inside the paint 34-22. UT missed about five layups, so that’s part of the reason, but nonetheless, a strange stat.
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Vanderbilt trapped the Vols’ bigs making execution down low difficult. Stokes shot 3-8 from the field and Maymon managed just 4-11 while they combined for five of Tennessee’s eight turnovers. VU center Damian Jones gave Tennessee’s post players some trouble with his 6-10 frame and long arms.
For the Commodores, Jones and forward James Siakam nearly matched Stokes and Maymon’s scoring pace combining for 18 points on an efficient 7-13 shooting. Typically, I’m not one to advocate a play from other team, but check out that alley-oop dunk from Jones. Pretty silly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRIqB2m6Ens
A Day Equalized
Look, I know this is a basketball story, and the goings-on of the football team really have little to do with the hoops squad. But one can’t help but notice how the day’s momentum was marginalized by the basketball team stubbing its toe yet again. Butch Jones just wrapped up his first full recruiting cycle at Tennessee, and National Signing Day couldn’t have gone smoother. The Vols signed 9 of the top 11 prospects in the state of Tennessee and finished with a top-five class despite three straight 5-7 campaigns and no winning season since 2009.
Unfortunately the basketball team just can’t stand the prosperity. Two convincing wins against Mississippi and Alabama, and just when you think things are going well, that things are finally on track, and BOOM, Tennessee shoots itself in the foot. It happened against A&M earlier in the season, and it happened again on Wednesday night.
This team’s tournament hopes are on the line every time they hit the floor at this juncture of the season, so motivation should be no issue. Yet they still came out flat. It’s like the guys just can’t seem to get out of their own way — kind of a one step forward and two steps back deal. Whatever it is, it’s certainly not a good look for Coach Martin, that much is sure.
Up Next
The South Carolina (Game)cocks come to Thompson-Boling on Saturday for a 3 p.m. afternoon affair against the Vols. USC is 8-14 on the season but its won just one game since conference play started in January. That one win? Yeah. Texas A&M. Ugh. The Gamecocks haven’t won a true road game all season, and the Vols have won the last 11 games in the series.
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