Vanderbilt Commodores Basketball Remain Undefeated in Statement Win over Cal
After two easy mid-major victories to open the season, the Vanderbilt Commodores picked up the win against their first Power Four conference school this season. The victory came against newly added ACC member California Golden Bears and picked up a statement 85-69 win.
Vanderbilt led by 11 points at the break and increased their against the Bears to win at Memorial Stadium.
The Commodores' first half was incredibly impressive. The team pushed the pace early and made a statement from the tipoff on Wednesday.
They headed to the locker room, controlling both sides of the court. They shot 61.8 percent from the field and recorded 11 steals against the Bears.
They continued their great performance into the second half and finished the night with 18 steals on the season. It was the most in a game for the program since the 1998 season and just missed the all-time record for Vanderbilt which sits at 20 in a single game (set in 1994 season).
Three Commodores reached double digits in the contest as head coach Mark Byington went six deep into his bench.
Guard Jason Edwards, who is playing in his third game for the program since transferring in from North Texas led the team with 18 points in the game.
Transfer Devin McGlockton, continues to be extremely efficient. He went 7 for 11 from the field for 16 points and four rebounds on the night.
Off the bench, freshman Tyler Tanner had his best game so far in his young college career. He picked up 14 points, reaching double digits for the first time. He shot 75% from the field including 2 for 3 from behind the arc.
Both Senior guards AJ Hoggard and Grant Huffman led the Commodores with four steals each.
Despite the solid win against Cal, Vanderbilt continues to have issues from beyond the arc. After going 3 for 25 in their last game against SEMO, the Commodores showed some improvement in their three-point shooting but still need to get better as the competition continues to improve. They finished the night going 7 for 25 from three.
It is the first 3-0 start to the season for the Commodores since the 2019-20 season. A great way to begin the new era of Vanderbilt basketball under coach Byington.
The Commodores will be back in action on Saturday when they host Jackson State at Memorial Stadium. The contest will start at Noon ET and will be available on ESPN+ and SEC Network+.
