ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) – Kyle Fuller made four free throws in the final minute and finished with 16 points as Vanderbilt held off Morgan State 75-66 Saturday in the Paradise Jam.
Damian Jones scored 13 points for Vanderbilt (3-2) and Eric McClellan added 12 — all coming from behind the 3-point line. Rod Odom and Luke Kornet added 11 apiece. Vanderbilt grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and shot 45.2 percent for the game.
Justin Black scored 18 for Morgan State (0-6) and Ian Chiles added 15 and nine rebounds. Black’s layup with 15:08 left pulled Morgan State within single digits at 45-37. Chiles’ dunk moved Morgan State closer at 71-66.
But Fuller sealed the game for Vanderbilt, making all four of his free throw attempts with just seconds left.
Vanderbilt will face Loyola Marymount in the fourth-place game on Monday.The Commodores led by as many as 17 in the second half. But Morgan State kept clawing away at its deficit.
The Bears shot just 32.1 percent in the first half, but turned it around in the second, making 14 of 29.
Kornet, a freshman, scored all 11 of his points in the second half for Vanderbilt. Ahead 57-50 with 7:49 left, Kornet threw down a dunk and his 3-pointer less than 2 minutes later extended Vanderbilt’s lead to 62-53.
Morgan State did not score in the final minute after missing both 3-point attempts.
The first half was much of the same.
The Commodores built an early 14-11 lead, behind seven points by Fuller. He finished with 10 points in the half as Vanderbilt led 37-23 at the break. They outscored Morgan State 26-12 in the paint.
Game Notes
The Commodores had five players score in double figures, with Kyle Fuller leading the way with 16. Damian Jones scored 13, Eric McClellan added 12, and Rod Odom and Luke Kornet scored 11. It was the first time Vanderbilt had five players in double figures since John Jenkins (18), Jeffery Taylor (16), Brad Tinsley (16), Dai-Jon Parker (10), and Josh Henderson (10) all scored in double digits vs. Monmouth on 11/25/11.
Freshman Luke Kornet logged a career-high 26 minutes and scored 11 points, also a career-best. He also added a career-best six rebounds, four of which came on the offensive glass.
Sophomore Eric McClellan has scored in double figures in every game this season. Freshman Damian Jones has scored in double figures in four of five games this year.
Vanderbilt shot 45.2% from the floor against Morgan State. Vanderbilt is shooting 49.3% from the floor this season, and have not shot under 45% from the floor in a game this year.
The Commodores’ largest lead was 17 at the 19:37 mark of the second half and never trailed in the game.
Vanderbilt outrebounded Morgan State, 43-31, and outscored the Bears, 42-30, in the paint. VU’s bench outscored their counterpart, 35-11.
VU had six steals, the most in a single game this season.
