NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)– Jeffery Taylor and Steve Tchiengang had 15 points each and Vanderbilt hit a season-high 13 3-pointers to breeze past Southeastern Louisiana 85-52 on Saturday night.
Eight different Commodores made a 3-pointer. Vanderbilt (8-2) shot 50 percent (13 of 26) from long distance, but only a little better from the free-throw line (14 of 24).
It was a season high for Tchiengang, who at 6 feet 9 stepped out and hit two 3-pointers. Lance Goulbourne had 13 points, and John Jenkins added 12 on a team-high four 3-pointers.
The Lions (5-4) were led by Gary Dixon, who came off the bench to score 16. Antonnio Benton added 10 as the Southeastern Louisiana bench outscored its starters 36-16.
The Commodores rolled up a 53-24 halftime lead behind a sizzling shooting performance. They converted 62.5 percent (20 of 32) from the floor. It was the most points they had scored in a first half since Nov. 24, 2007, against Bradley in the Cancun Challenge.
Vanderbilt hit eight 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. Jenkins knocked down three of them, and freshman Rod Odom had a pair.
Jenkins’ trey with 47 seconds to go until halftime gave Vanderbilt its largest lead of the half at 53-19. The Commodores shot 53.3 percent (8 of 15) from long range in the opening stanza.
Vanderbilt has made a 3-pointer in every game since the NCAA instituted the 3-point line in the 1986-87 season. It’s one of only three schools to do so, along with UNLV and Princeton.
