NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanderbilt took care of business against a struggling Missouri team at home where the Commodores have been pretty good this season.
Now they need to play as well on the road.
Wade Baldwin IV scored 17 points in leading five starters in double figures, and the Vanderbilt Commodores routed Missouri 86-71 Wednesday night for their second win in three games.
“It does seem like this year at home we’ve done a pretty good job of having that extra energy or guys playing,” junior forward Luke Kornet said. “I mean we have a really good opportunity on Saturday to carry it on the road and show some growth.”
The Commodores (14-10, 6-5 Southeastern Conference) now have won five straight at home and improved to 11-2 at Memorial Gym this season. But they are just 1-7 on the road.
Luke Kornet scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds with five blocks. Damian Jones had 14 points before fouling out, Matthew Fisher-Davis had 13 and Jeff Roberson 12.
Missouri (8-16, 1-10) lost its ninth straight, and coach Kim Anderson noted his Tigers have struggled to start games well all season.
“Give Vanderbilt some credit. They did a great job early on,” Anderson said. “I thought we had shots … We’re just a young bunch of guys, and we didn’t make them and when you don’t make them, you put yourself in a hole. This is not an easy team to come back on. They have so many different options.”
Ryan Rosburg scored a career-high 24 points, and the senior had his first double-double with 11 rebounds for the Tigers. Jakeenan Gant added 16 points in his return from a one-game suspension. Namon Wright had 11, and Kevin Puryear 10.
Jones scored the first six points of the game, giving Vanderbilt the lead from the start. The Commodores never trailed and knocked down three straight 3-pointers by three different players, the last by Nolan Cressler, in building that lead to 26-11. By halftime, they led 45-26.
Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings called it a tough game.
“It’s a tough game because unless you win and win going away, you don’t feel probably as good about yourself as you would like to,” Stallings said. “We’re going to take this victory and be glad that we won and hope we can put another one on top of it again this week.”
The Commodores led 52-36 when they scored nine straight with Jones and Kornet both dunking in the run for their biggest lead of the game at 61-36 with 14:30 left. The Tigers shot 45.9 percent (17 of 37) in the second half but couldn’t get closer than 13 in the final six minutes.
TIP-INS
Missouri: A pair of Tigers returned after sitting out one-game suspensions. Both Gant and junior forward Russell Woods sat out last weekend’s loss at Alabama after being cited for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Gant played 15 minutes coming off the bench, while Woods played 11 minutes and had three rebounds. … Rosburg scored in double figures for the fifth time this season. … The Tigers had only one turnover in the second half and six for the game.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores came in ranked third nationally holding opponents to 28.1 percent shooting from 3-point range and 19th shooting 39.9 percent beyond the arc themselves. They held the Tigers to just 3 of 16 beyond the arc. But the Commodores cooled off after hitting five of their first nine and finished 8 of 29 (27.5 percent). … The Commodores have never lost to Missouri at Memorial Gym, improving to 5-0.
UP NEXT
Missouri: Hosts Tennessee on Saturday.
Vanderbilt: Visits Auburn on Saturday.
