Recapping Vanderbilt's Loss At Auburn

No one wants moral victories, but sometimes they are needed. Last night might just have been one of those times as the Vanderbilt Commodores came close, but fell short in their upset bid against the 5th ranked Auburn Tigers.

The Vanderbilt Commodores were oh so close to pulling off a huge upset and securing a signature win for first-year head coach Jerry Stackhouse last night in Auburn, but the 5th ranked Tigers forced the Commodores into a turnover in the final seconds that allowed them to escape and remain undefeated with an 83-79 win. 

The Commodores played arguably their best game of the season in the loss, committing a season-low nine turnovers and shooting over forty percent from both the three-point line and from the field. Auburn only outrebounded them by eleven, which considering the lack of any real inside game for the Commodores isn't terrible. 

Once again, however, the Commodores struggled from the free-throw line, hitting 17 of 25 on the night, meaning the left eight points on the line and lost by four. 

On the other side, the Tigers finished the night shooting just forty-four percent from the field and twenty-five percent from three. They made a living at the free-throw stripe, knocking down 28 of 38 on the night.  

The Commodore's lack of a real inside threat was most evident in the final six minutes when Auburn's Austin Wiley controlled the boards and hit four free-throws down the stretch. He finished the game with a double-double. 

Saben Lee, who failed to score in double figures for the first time all season in their loss to SMU rebounded with a huge night, leading the Commodores with 27 while Aaron Nesmith found his game in the second half after struggling in the first frame. He finished with 18 points. 

Jordan Wright and Dylan Disu also contributed as the tandem combined for  18 points and 12 boards, with Wright providing 10 and 7 while Disu finished with 8 and five respectively.  

Freshman point guard Scottie Pippen Jr. had just four points but played well handling the ball against a tough, physical Tigers defense. In 31 minutes of action, Pippen Jr. did not allow a turnover while hearing the chats of "air-ball" most of the night after launching one from the line.  

The Commodore defense was also a factor, as down the stretch with the game still in the balance, they held Auburn without a field goal for the final 2:31 seconds. 

It was a game Vanderbilt had a chance to win, and some say should have won, but it's a game to build upon and it was a performance that regardless of the outcome was needed by this team. 

While sports are not about moral victories- this certainly qualifies as such- they're about winning, but when you were part of a team that won just seven games all last season and lost 19 in a row, you have to learn how to win and part of winning is being able to do what the Tigers did last night. Find a way in the closing seconds. 

When the Commodores do that, that's the moment this team will have turned the corner.