Dec. 21, 2009
Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery 
Vanderbilt 99, Mercer 59
December 21, 2009 – Memorial Gym – Nashville, Tenn.
Attendance: 12,347
Starting Lineups
– Vanderbilt started senior Jermaine Beal, sophomore Brad Tinsley and sophomore Jeffery Taylor at guard … sophomore Andre Walker started at forward and sophomore Festus Ezeli started at center … It was the second time this season that Vanderbilt used this starting lineup … Vanderbilt is now 2-0 with this starting lineup after previously beating Lipscomb in the season opener.
– Taylor made his 42nd consecutive start and has started every game of his career … Tinsley made the 39th start of his career and 22nd in a row, starting every game since Jan. 31, 2009 at Auburn … After having his streak of 70-straight starts snapped against Western Kentucky on Dec. 11, Beal made the 76th of his career … The start by Walker was the 11th of his career and 10th in 11 games this season … Before this season, his only start was against MTSU on Nov. 24, 2009 when he suffered a season-ending knee injury. … Ezeli’s start was the fourth of the year, third in a row and 10th of his career … Today’s game marked just the sixth time in Ogilvy’s career (74 career games) that he did not start.
Postgame Notes
– Vanderbilt improved to 8-3 on the season, while Mercer fell to 4-6 … Vanderbilt has now won 10 in a row at Memorial Gym, including all five games this year … VU’s last home loss was against Florida on Jan. 25, 2009.
– The 2009-10 season is the 110th in Vanderbilt’s history.
– Today’s meeting was the 14th all-time between Vanderbilt and Mercer … Vanderbilt now leads the all-time series 9-5 … Vanderbilt leads the series 8-4 in games played at Memorial Gym.
– Vanderbilt is now 2-0 against teams from the Atlantic Sun Conference this season … Vanderbilt opened the season with a 95-73 win over Lipscomb.
– With the win, Vanderbilt is now 45-10 against teams from the Atlantic Sun … Vanderbilt Head Coach Kevin Stallings is now 1-0 all-time against Mercer.
– With Jermaine Beal’s three-pointer with 17:26 remaining in the first half, Vanderbilt extended its consecutive games streak with at least one three-pointer made to 740 … VU is one of only three schools (UNLV and Princeton) that have made at least one three-pointer in every game played since the three-point line was established for the 1986-87 season … Only UNLV (748) has a longer streak than Vanderbilt.
– Vanderbilt had five players reach double figures in scoring for the first time since Jan. 19, 2008 against LSU … Reaching double figures were Jermaine Beal (15), Brad Tinsley (14), A.J. Ogilvy (11), John Jenkins (17) and Jeffery Taylor (13).
– Vanderbilt scored a season-high 99 points, surpassing the 95 points scored in the season opener against Lipscomb … It was Vanderbilt’s second 90-point game of the season … The 99 points by Vanderbilt were the most since also scoring 99 on Feb. 28, 2007 against South Carolina … The last time Vanderbilt scored 100 points was in a 102-59 win over UPR-Mayaguez.
– Vanderbilt’s 40-point win was its largest margin of victory since topping Kentucky 93-52 (41 points) on Feb. 12, 2008 in Memorial Gym.
– The Commodores connected on a season-high 12-of-21 three-pointers … The 12 three-pointers were also topped last year’s season high of 10, which was accomplished three times.
– Vanderbilt shot 60.3 percent from the floor … It was the second game in a row Vanderbilt has shot 60 percent or better after shooting a season-best 67.9 percent from the floor against Tennessee State.
– Vanderbilt’s 22 assists were a season-high, topping the 21 assists the team had against Tennessee State.
– The Commodores are now 5-0 when shooting better than 50 percent this season.
– Vanderbilt is 6-0 when scoring at least 70 points this season.
– Vanderbilt outscored Mercer 34-16 in the paint.
First Half Notes – Vanderbilt 50, Mercer 25
– Leading 9-3, Vanderbilt went on a 15-2 run to extend its lead to 17, 24-7, following a three-pointer by Jermaine Beal at the 10:54 mark.
– Vanderbilt held an 11-7 lead at the 14:37 mark before going on an 18-2 run to take a 20-point lead, 29-9, with 9:44 to play.
– Vanderbilt connected on 13 of its first 18 shots (72.2 percent), including its first five three-pointers.
– A basket by A.J. Ogilvy at the 4:30 mark pushed Vanderbilt’s lead to 27, 42-15 … The 27-point lead was it largest of the half.
– Mercer would cut into Vanderbilt’s lead by going on an 8-0 run to make the score 42-23 with 2:30 to play.
– Vanderbilt answered by scoring the next eight points to extend its lead to 27, 50-23, with 37 seconds to play.
– The 50 first-half points scored by Vanderbilt were the most in the first half this season … Vanderbilt’s previous high in the first half was 43 against Tennessee State and Lipscomb … The last time Vanderbilt scored 50 points in the first half was Dec. 29, 2007 when the team scored 51 against UT Martin … Vanderbilt’s highest total in a half this season was 52 in the second half against Lipscomb on Nov. 16
– Vanderbilt’s three-pointers made in the half (seven) equaled the total number of field goals made by Mercer in the half.
– Vanderbilt shot a season-best 62.5 percent from the floor in the first half, including 63.6 percent from three-point range.
– Mercer shot 29.2 percent from the floor.
– Ties: 1
– Lead changes: 0
– Largest lead: VU – 27, 0:37; TSU – N/A
– John Jenkins started the game by making his first three shots, all from three … His three first-half triples were one shy of his career high … He finished the half with nine points.
– Jermaine Beal led the team with 10 points in the half.
– Vanderbilt had eight players score in the first half.
– Vanderbilt outrebounded Mercer 18-14 and outscored Mercer 16-8 in the paint.
Second Half Notes
– With Vanderbilt holding a 54-29 advantage, the Commodores went on a 10-0 run to take a 35-point lead â€â€ its largest lead of the game, 64-29, with 16:10 to play.
– A three-pointer by Brad Tinsley at the 15:23 mark gave Vanderbilt a 36 point lead, 67-31, its largest of the game.
– Ties: 0
– Lead changes: 0
– Largest lead: VU – 40, 1:44; TSU – N/A
– Vanderbilt shot 57.7 percent from the floor in the half and 50.0 percent from three.
– Mercer shot 33.3 percent from the floor in the half and 22.2 percent from three.
Individual Notes
– Tonight’s win was the 197th for Head Coach Kevin Stallings, tying him with Bob Polk for the second-most wins in school history … He now has 197 career wins and 131 losses at Vanderbilt … Roy Skinner’s 278 wins is more than any coach in Vanderbilt history.
– John Jenkins scored a career-best 17 points to reach double figures in scoring for the sixth time in his career … Jenkins has now scored in double figures in three of the last four games … The four three-pointers by Jenkins tied a season high (Chaminade) … His previous career high in points was 14 against Chaminade … By making 4-of-6 threes, Jenkins tied the team’s season mark for highest three-point percentage in a game (66.7 percent).
– Jeffery Taylor finished with 13 points to reach double figures in scoring for the 32nd time in his career … He has scored in double figures in all but one game this season.
– Brad Tinsley scored a season-high14 points to reach double figures for the third time this season and for the 23rd time in his career … Tinsley’s previous season high was 12 against Illinois … The 14 points were the most by Tinsley since scoring 20 in last year’s season finale.
– A.J. Ogilvy scored 11 points and now has 1,162 for his career, which ranks 28th in school history … He now trails Billy Joe Adcock (1,190) for 27th all-time … A.J. Ogilvy has scored in double figures in 64 of 74 career games … It was the seventh time this season he has scored in double figures.
– Jermaine Beal scored 15 points to reach double figures in scoring for the ninth time this season and 44th time in his career.
– Jermaine Beal finished the game with six assists and ranks eighth in school history with 354 career assists … Russell Lakey (2000-04) is seventh in school history with 369 assists.
– Darshawn McClellan tied a career high with two steals.
