Vanderbilt Commodores

Vanderbilt Basketball's Growth on Display In Upset of No. 12 Texas A&M

The Commodores snapped a six-game road losing streak to claim their fourth win over a ranked opponent this season.
Joe Gaither|
Feb 26, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard MJ Collins Jr. (2), forward Jaylen Carey (22) and Texas A&M Aggies forward Henry Coleman III (15) battle for the rebound during the first half at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard MJ Collins Jr. (2), forward Jaylen Carey (22) and Texas A&M Aggies forward Henry Coleman III (15) battle for the rebound during the first half at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

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Vanderbilt Commodores

The Vanderbilt basketball (19-9, 7-8) ended a six-game road losing streak in the SEC by taking down No. 12 Texas A&M (20-8, 9-6) in College Station. The Commodores used strong defense, sharpshooting and clutch free throws to claim their fourth victory over a ranked team this year and solidify their NCAA Tournament standing.

Vanderbilt took a two-point lead into the break, thrusting them into the same position the 'Dores were in on the road against Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma. First year head coach Mark Byington's messaging is taking hold as the Commodores learned from the errors of past games to grind out the second half and claim an 86-84 win over Texas A&M.

Forward Tyler Nickel shouldered Vanderbilt's offensive load scoring 21 points on a career-high seven made 3-point shots. Nickel's long-range efforts helped Vanderbilt retake the lead in the second half and close out the upset win. Guard MJ Collins added 16 points with four rebounds and two assists while Commodores' leading scorer on the year Jason Edwards added 15 points, despite falling into foul trouble.

Vanderbilt's struggled to get defensive stops late in games against some of the best teams in the SEC this season, but that wasn't the case on Wednesday. The Aggies shot 37 percent from the floor and Texas A&M's leading scorer on the year Wade Taylor IV put up 21 points, but did it inefficiently on three-of-10 shooting.

The victory keeps Vanderbilt in 10th position in the SEC standings with three games remaining. The Commodores return home on Saturday to take on No. 15 Missouri at 5 p.m. CT.

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Joe Gaither
JOE GAITHER

Joe Gaither oversees videos and podcasts for Alabama Crimson Tide On SI/BamaCentral. He began his sports media career in radio in 2019, working for three years in Tuscaloosa covering the University of Alabama and other local high school sports. In 2023 he joined BamaCentral to cover a variety of Crimson Tide sports and recruiting, in addition to hosting the “Joe Gaither Show” podcast. His work has also appeared on the Boston College, Missouri and Vanderbilt web sites.

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