Duke Miles scored 28 points and Devin McGlockton added 22 to fuel No. 24 Vanderbilt to an 83-78 victory over Western Kentucky at the Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
The Commodores (6-0) nearly squandered a 15-point lead and recorded a season low in points and thanks to poor foul-shooting in the final minutes.
Vanderbilt will face the winner of the South Florida-VCU game, while the Hilltoppers get the loser of that contest. Both games to be played on Thanksgiving Day.
Teagan Moore led Western Kentucky (4-1) with 24 points. Cam Haffner had season highs in 3-pointers (five) and points (18) while Armelo Boone added 16 points for the Hilltoppers.
Grant Newell, Western Kentucky’s second-leading scorer, sustained a sprained ankle with 8:04 in the first half. He did not return.
Haffner’s 3-pointer with 1:25 left cut the lead to 78-71. A half-minute later, his steal and feed to Bryant Sellabangue brought the Hilltoppers closer.
Vanderbilt’s Frankie Collins missed a pair of free throws, and after Boone’s miss, McGlockton hit one of two free throws before Collins picked Moore’s pocket and then hit one of two foul shots.
Moore then buried two free throws before McGlockton hit one of two from the line.
A goaltending call on McGlockton with 4.2 seconds left cut the lead to four and Boone also canned a free throw after being fouled by Bing on that shot.
But Vanderbilt’s Miles hit two free throws with 1.9 seconds left to ice the game.
Vanderbilt led 40-35 at the end of a fast-paced, physical first half.
Western Kentucky was able to keep it close most of the half due to a physical defense that held Vanderbilt to 42.9% (9-of-21) on 2-pointers and Moore’s 15 points on the other end.
Vanderbilt took its first lead of the game at 18-17 when Tyler Tanner hit an open 3 from straight away with 12:21 left in the first half, and wouldn’t trail again.
–Field Level Media
