March 4, 2017
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt men’s basketball closed its regular season just the way it wanted: with style. The Commodores (17-14, 10-8 SEC) rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to top No. 12 Florida (24-7, 14-4), 73-71, in the regular-season finale on Saturday at Memorial Gym.
Let’s clean the glass from Vanderbilt’s victory:
THE SKINNY: Florida and Vanderbilt authored a tight first half until about eight minutes remained, when KeVaughn Allen sank consecutive 3-pointers to give the Gators a 28-21 lead. Florida shot 52 percent from the field in the first half to take a 40-31 lead into halftime. That lead ballooned to double-digits after the break, but the Commodores found renewed intensity in the final eight minutes. Vanderbilt limited Florida’s offense late and hit 14 of their 19 free throws in the second half.
TURNING POINT: Florida’s lead swelled to 12 at 12:06 in the second half, but Vanderbilt wasn’t finished. The Commodores staged a 9-0 run that included seven straight points from guard Riley LaChance. During that stretch, the crowd at Memorial Gym came alive. Florida was unable to match that energy the rest of the way.
IMPACT PLAYER: Luke Kornet. Vanderbilt’s senior center shot just 3-of-8 in the first half for eight points at the break, but Kornet turned things around in the final 20 minutes. The Commodores’ 7’1” star finished with a game-high 24 points along with six rebounds. He also connected on 8-of-10 free throws and hit a handful to help put the game away late.
STARTLING STAT: 37 – combined points for seniors Nolan Cressler and Kornet on Senior Day. The roster’s elder statesmen turned in a pair of solid performances against the Gators, particularly in the second half. Cressler and Kornet scored 25 of their combined 37 points after the break to carry a resurgent squad back from a double-digit deficit. Their presence on both ends of the floor paid off for Vanderbilt.
WHAT IT MEANS: Vanderbilt finishes its first regular season under head coach Bryce Drew 17-14 and 10-8 in the SEC. The Commodores closed the campaign winning five of their final six SEC games.
QUOTABLE: “Things did not look very good at the 12-minute mark. Somehow, in the next 7-to-10 minutes, we were able to manufacture points. But it wasn’t pretty… It wasn’t like we scored in bunches. We kind of chipped away at that lead over 7-to-10 minutes.” -Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew on his team’s comeback in the second half
WHAT’S NEXT: Vanderbilt kicks off the 2017 SEC Tournament next week at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The Commodores’ opening opponent remains undetermined.
