Fast Start, Lots of Energy Propels No. 13 Vanderbilt Past Wake Forest

There was a lot to like from the Commodores' performance on the road Sunday afternoon.

Tyler Tanner dunks in Vanderbilt 98-67 win. | Vanderbilt Basketball Photos

After the last two games against Central Arkansas and Memphis, something felt a little off despite Vanderbilt winning both games. The Commodores’ energy and passion did not look quite as sharp as it has for the majority of the season. They looked like a team that needed a fast start in its next game.

That is precisely what happened Sunday afternoon as Vanderbilt traveled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for a Quadrant I opportunity against Wake Forest and came away with a 98-67 win.

Vanderbilt started the game off quick with a 8-0 run on behalf of three-pointers from guard Tyler Nickel and forward Devin McGlockton and another two-point bucket from McGlockton. But the lead would soon double as the rest of the starting lineup got going. On top of Nickel and McGlockton, guard Tyler Harris and guard Duke Miles started pitching into the offense as Vanderbilt took a 34-18 lead a little past the midway point of the first half.

“We were ready to play. Our guys kind of heard some things that people were doubting us a little bit. We had a good win at Memphis and I think it was discredited. It was a hard fought win and we learned from it,” Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington said. “But this is a good team. We did some things to take them out of rhythm, but Wake is a good team. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re in the NCAA Tournament.”

Before you knew it, Vanderbilt went into the locker room at halftime up 54-37 off of 56 percent shooting and 50 percent from three-point range with 10 threes made in the first half. Nickel was the star of the show as he scored 20 in the first 20 minutes himself.

It was exactly what Vanderbilt needed after two games where it looked sluggish. While the Commodores were not in danger of losing to Central Arkansas on Dec. 13, Vanderbilt knew that an 11-point win against a mid-major team that was below .500 was not going to cut it.

What was also nice for Vanderbilt fans to see Sunday was the energy, passion and effort that the Commodores played with. In their previous two games, there was certainly a lack of effort that was seen throughout the team. Whether it was because it is mid-December or something else, Vanderbilt did not bury its opponents when it needed to, causing it to dodge two bullets consecutively.

Such was not the case against Wake Forest. Vanderbilt kept its foot on the gas after building a huge lead. Against Memphis, Vanderbilt blew an 11-point lead in the second half before escaping in overtime. But in the second half against the Demon Deacons, Vanderbilt started the second half off quickly with a 15-6 run that extended the lead from 17 to 26 points.

Byington sent a clear message to his team with the way his guys played: he was not going to let his team struggle late in the game like it had for the past week. In fact, Vanderbilt put its foot on the gas so much so that the starters were in the game with five minutes remaining up 30 points.

In total, the game was much more reflective of how Vanderbilt has looked for the nine of its first 11 games of the season. It was a performance back to the mean of Vanderbilt’s season averages on offense. Everyone contributed in various ways and everyone was making shots with ease. Five Commodores finished with 10 or more points.

“I said some guys were ready for different responsibilities, and they’ve been practicing hard. When their opportunity came, they played well. Tyler Harris played well. Mike James gave us really good minutes,” Byington said.

Nickel finished four points shy of his career-high, putting up 26 points on 8-for-10 shooting from three-point range. It was also a nice day for Harris, who finished with 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting. If Harris is able to find his shot again, it will be great news for Vanderbilt. Even though it may have been a relatively quiet day for guard Tyler Tanner, he still finished in double figures with 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting.