Field Level Media
Nov 20, 2019
Guards Aaron Nesmith (26 points), Saben Lee (17) and freshman Scotty Pippen Jr. (21) helped Vanderbilt pull away from Austin Peay as the Commodores scored a 90-72 victory over the visiting Governors at Nashville's Memorial Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.
Austin Peay (1-3) freshman guard Jordyn Adams -- a former Baylor commit -- scored a career-high 25, going 8 of 11 from the field with four 3-pointers. Guard Reginald Gee added 14. Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference forward Terry Taylor, the Governors' best player, had 13, but needed 15 shots to do it.
Lee added a career-high nine assists for the Commodores (3-1). Pippen's point total was a career high.
It was close most of the night, but the Commodores gradually pulled away from there, thanks to some easier points coming on fast-break opportunities as the second half unfolded.
It was a foul-plagued affair on both sides; each team had four players with at least three fouls with 11:32 left, and two Austin Peay players (Gee and guard Evan Hainson) each had four. A fourth, guard Antwuan Butler, picked up his fourth with 10:02 left.
Vanderbilt took a 46-42 lead, its biggest of the night since four minutes into the game, on back-to-back 3s by Pippen Jr. and Nesmith, the last coming with 16:57 left.
Guard Jordan Wright hit a 3-pointer that just beat the shot clock gave Vandy a five-point edge at 13:49, and Lee's dunk about two minutes later off a Pippen pushed the edge to seven.
Nesmith's reverse lay-up with 9:06 to play -- coming on a rebound and a fast-break assist from guard Max Evans -- made it 64-56, Vandy.
Nesmith gave Vanderbilt its first double-digit lead when on forward Dylan Disu's assist of a layup at 5:58. The sophomore's ensuing free throw made it 73-62.
The Governors led 29-20, matching their biggest advantage of the first half, when Adams knocked down a 3-pointer with 6:44 left before the half.
But Vandy ended the half with a 38-37 lead, thanks to a steal by forward Matthew Moyer that led to a tip-in by Wright with 6.7 seconds left in the first half.
Both teams were in the bonus by 12:10 of the first half.
--Field Level Media