NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt men’s basketball team fell to Texas 79-72 in the first round of the SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena Wednesday afternoon.
Vandy (20-12) went 24-for-58 from the field. The Dores outscored Texas (18-14) 42-32 in the paint. Both squads collected 34 rebounds.
The Commodores were led by Jason Edwards with 20 points, his second consecutive game and 10th contest this season scoring 20-plus points. Three more Vanderbilt student-athletes were in double figures, including Tyler Nickel with 14 points and Chris Mañon with 12. Devin McGlockton contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds, good for his seventh double-double of the season.
The Longhorns also had four players with 10-plus points, led by Tramon Mark and Tre Johnson with 19 points each. Jordan Pope registered 14 points, and Arthur Kaluma scored 11. Jayson Kent paced Texas on the glass with 10 boards.
Vanderbilt and Texas traded scores for the first five minutes, at which point the Longhorns pulled away and would lead by as many as 17 points. Texas recorded 24 first-half rebounds, while the Commodores only grabbed 14 boards.
Vandy controlled the glass in the second half, outrebounding the Longhorns 20-10. The Dores also outscored Texas 26-10 in the paint. A late 6-0 run pulled the Commodores within seven, but the Longhorns held on to close out the win.
The NCAA selection show is Sunday at 5 p.m. CT and will air on CBS.
