VCU shut down the nation’s No. 2 scoring offense in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Its reward? A chance to shut down the nation’s No. 1 offense.
High-powered No. 24 Vanderbilt (6-0) takes on VCU (4-2) with a championship-game berth on the line Thursday afternoon in Nassau, Bahamas.
While a Feast Week finale date is surely at the top of the Commodores’ minds on Thanksgiving Day, Vanderbilt left much to be desired in its 83-78 quarterfinal victory over Western Kentucky on Wednesday.
The Commodores, who entered the day as the country’s highest-scoring team at 103.0 points per game, failed to eclipse 92 points for the first time all year.
Vanderbilt also came into the day as the nation’s second-best team in fewest turnovers per game — averaging just 7.6 — but committed a season-high 17 against Western Kentucky. The Commodores also dipped in their efficiency, failing to hit at least 55% of their shots for the first time as they finished 24 for 53 (45%).
When asked whether this game was proof Vanderbilt remains a work in progress, head coach Mark Byington agreed.
“We were a play or two away from really separating the game and we just didn’t do that,” Byington said. “The turnovers were too much. We’re better than that.
“Anything we did wrong today, I know we can fix.”
Even with the dip in production from the Commodores’ high standards, they still received good performances from Duke Miles and Devin McGlockton.
Miles put up 28 points on 6-for-12 shooting to go with five rebounds and three assists, while McGlockton added a season-high 22 points. Miles and McGlockton are among the six Commodores averaging double figures.
“It is exciting because when you’re not playing your best, and you still have a little margin for error, it’s kind of like, ‘What if we play a little better?'” Miles said. “So it just makes you think, like, ‘How much better we can be?’ As a team, the sky’s the very limit.”
Meanwhile, VCU shut down a South Florida squad that arrived in the Bahamas averaging 100.0 points per game. The Rams used a strong second half in which they never trailed to knock off the Bulls, 78-66.
VCU did a good job of running the Bulls off the 3-point line. South Florida was averaging 31.6 attempts per game, but it went 2 for 14 from behind the 3-point arc while shooting 38.8% overall.
Meanwhile, VCU showcased a new focus on the offensive end. After last week’s 85-79 loss at NC State, Rams legend Gerald Henderson urged coach Phil Martelli Jr. to get Lazar Djokovic the ball more.
The 6-foot-11 junior dominated down low and finished with 20 points, one shy of his career high. The Charleston transfer drew so many fouls, he wound up 11 for 18 at the free-throw line.
“Getting the ball to Lazar is something we need to do more of. (Henderson) is right,” Martelli said. “Those guys saw it, they recognized it, we were able to throw a couple wrinkles in there on the fly to get him going in the post.”
–Field Level Media
