Suffocating Defense Leads Vanderbilt Past Mississippi State
Vanderbilt Snaps Losing Streak in Starkville
A win was needed today in Starkville, Mississippi for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Coming in on a three-game losing streak after starting 16-0, the Dores looked to tighten up some things and help their cause against a Bulldogs team who had dropped four straight.
The Dores were able to accomplish that in a dominant effort against the Bulldogs, for their first win in Starkville since 2021 by a score of 88-56.
The Commodores jumped out quickly to a 22-4 lead in a little over five minutes of the game. A major factor was playing tight defense and forcing the Bulldogs into turnovers. Vanderbilt took advantage of six early turnovers by State and turned them into 13 points in that time span.
On the offensive side, the Dores moved it around well and showed good pace, getting to the paint, and Tyler Tanner was hot from the start. Tanner started out a perfect 6 for 6 with two threes included to put up 14 points in the first nine minutes of the game. Tanner’s ability to move and force defenses to chase did not bode well for Mississippi State.
Duke Miles kept the pressure on by getting through the lane for chances at the rim and playing smart veteran basketball. His defensive contributions of seven steals were a huge part of the 17 turnovers Mississippi State gave up in the game. The Dores as a team recorded 10 steals. He finished with 17 points, seven steals, four assists, and three rebounds.
The ball movement was key in forcing Mississippi State to find a way to even contest a shot well beyond the arc especially. Tyler Nickel was 3 for 8 today from beyond the arc, and those came in the first half. Nickel has great range and knocks down a few of those every day. He had a quiet second half and finished with 13.
Vanderbilt’s defense in the paint was enough to force the Bulldogs into minimal production versus what the Dores were able to accomplish inside. This game is simple, it really isn’t hard unless you make it hard. Today, Mississippi State made it extremely hard on themselves and Vanderbilt cashed in on those opportunities.
The Commodores finished the day with a 36-34 edge on the boards. There is still some work to do there, but at least they finished in the plus. Jalen Washington provided solid work on the boards with eight rebounds, and also recorded four blocks. Mississippi State did not have a good time inside or anywhere today for that matter.
The Commodores scored 51 first half points to take a 21 point halftime lead over Mississippi State. The biggest keys were 18 points off turnovers in the half, and a 22-8 advantage in the paint. The Dores also hit it well from beyond the arc, 7 of 18 in the first half.
The second half started off as it did in the beginning. Tyler Tanner came right out with a three from the top of the key, and Mississippi State followed that with another turnover that led to a Tyler Nickel slam at the other end. There was no let up from the Dores, and continued to force Mississippi State into a deeper hole.
Tanner continued to run the court and get to the paint, as he finished the day with 24 points, with 10 of those coming from layups. The second half saw the lead continuously inflate, and it was off Vanderbilt playing dominant basketball. The only three they had in the second half was the Tanner three to open the half.
Jayden Epps was pretty much the Bulldogs main source today with 14 points. As for his teammate, Josh Hubbard, Vanderbilt did a good job of making the day uncomfortable for him. He came into today averaging 21.7 points per game, shooting at 40 percent, and today was a tough one finishing with just seven points on 2-for-10 shooting from the field.
This game was never in question. The Commodores just came out today, played smothering defense, capitalized off turnovers, and were efficient on the offensive end. The paint production was overwhelming in Vandy’s favor, and a lot of that was off fastbreak opportunities that came from turnovers.
When Vanderbilt looks at today’s game, they should feel good about taking what was served to them and making it count. Vanderbilt dominated with a 50-22 paint advantage and 28 points off 17 Bulldogs turnovers. This is exactly the kind of performance they needed to get their confidence back after a rough stretch, and now they get to carry that momentum back home.
The Dores return home to face Kentucky on Tuesday, January 27, 2025 at 8 PM CT on ESPN.
Featured Image Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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