Commodores Pull Away, Blow Out Austin Peay 90-72

Vanderbilt returned home on Wednesday night to host Austin Peay and used a blistering shooting second half enroute to a 90-72 blow out of the visitors from Clarksville.

The Vanderbilt Commodores returned to Memorial Gym on Wednesday night to host the  Austin Peay Governors in an early season matchup of Middle Tennessee teams. 

After trailing much of the first half, the Commodores blistered the nets in the second half, shooting 67.9% from the floor in the final 20 minutes to blow past Austin Peay in a 90-72 blowout for Vanderbilt.   

 Vanderbilt jumped out to an early 9-6 advantage, the visitors settled down and began a 20-8 run to take a nine point first half advantage  at 26-17 with just over eight minutes remaining in the first half. 

The two teams would trade baskets, with Vanderbilt cutting the Austin Peay lead to three onf four different occasions in the first half, only ro see the Governors answer each run with baskets of their own as the visitors held the lead down the stretch of the first half. .   

Vanderbilt cut the advantage to 35-32 when Matthew Moyer connected from the field and was fouled, completing the three point trip with 2:41 remaining in the half. 

Once again Austin Peay would answer as Carlos Paez was fouled on a drive to thje basket by Moyer. Paez knocked down both free throws to push the Governors lead back to 5 at 37-32.

A Moyer field goal with :59 left cut the lead back to five where Austin Peay would turn the ball over leading to a Saben Lee field goal to cut the Governors lead to one. 

On the ensuing possession it was another Governors turnover, this one on an intercepted pass by Moyer that lead to another Lee basket on a tip in off a missed shot by Scottie Pippen Jr. that gave Vanderbilt the lead at halftime, 38-37. 

The Commdores managed to shoot just just 43% from the floor in the first half while Austin Peay connected on 48% of their shots in the first 20 minutes.  

Despite that poor shooting performance, the Commodores managed to take the lead into the half.   

For Vanderbilt, it was the three-point line that allowed them to battle back to take the lead, as they connected on 6 of 12 from long range in the half. 

Vanderbilt would open the second half with back to back turnovers allowing Austin Peay to retake the lead 41-38 less than two minutes into the second stanza. 

Austin Peay would hold the lead until the 16 minute mark of the half when Vanderbilt would go on a 5-0 run to take a 48-46 advantage.

From there the two teams would trade baskets until the Commodores put together a string of four consecutive scoring trip to buuild a 57-50 advantage with 12;49 left to play. 

Vanderbilt would take control down the stretch as easy lay ups and three point baskets helped them seal the win after building the lead to 18 as they coasted to the 90-72 victory. 

For the game, the Commodores connected on just 9 of 24 three point baskets, but five of the nine came in the second half as the Commodores scourched the nets from deep to build their advantage. 

Aaron Nesmith led all scorers with 26 points in the game while Jordyn Adams lead Austin Peay with 25. 

Scottie Pippen Jr. added 21 and Saben Lee 19 for the Commodores while Reginald Gee 14 and Terry Taylor (13) scored in double figures for Austin Peay. 

With the win, Vanderbilt improved to 3-1 on the season and will host South Carolina State this Friday night at 7pm in Memorial Gym.