Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington said he doesn’t plan on his team’s fortunes riding exclusively on its ability to make 3-pointers, but you would be hard-pressed to convince his first two opponents of that.
The Commodores (2-0) sank 17 shots from 3-point range in a win over Lipscomb and 14 in a victory over UCF.
Vanderbilt will look to continue its shooting display on Wednesday night when it faces Eastern Kentucky (1-1) in Nashville, Tenn.
“We talk about playing the right way, and we really want to take what the game gives us,” Byington said. “When we pass well, we have some guys that can make some shots.”
The Commodores have scored 105 points in both their games. It is the first time since 1980 that they have scored more than 100 in back-to-back games, and the first time Vanderbilt has done it to start a season.
Vanderbilt also forced 12 turnovers vs. UCF, outscoring the Knights 20-2 off giveaways.
“We shared the ball well, and our teammates trust each other,” said senior Tyler Nickel, who leads the Commodores in scoring with 18.5 points per game. “This is part of what will make us better when we get to conference and hopefully the postseason.”
Nickel isn’t the only one filling it up for Vanderbilt. Sophomore Tyler Tanner is averaging 17.5 per game, graduate student Duke Miles is contributing 15, and Tyler Harris is at 14.5.
The Commodores have hit 31 of 67 shots from 3-point range.
As for the Colonels, they are coming off an 89-79 loss to Western Kentucky on Monday. Forward Austin Ball leads the Colonels with 16.5 points per game. The sophomore is a transfer from George Mason.
Graduate student Montavious Myrick averages 16 points per game, and Cal State Fullerton transfer forward Jalen Cooper adds 14.5.
The Colonels also are a high-scoring team, averaging 100.5 points per game. They have made 25 of 68 shots from 3-point range.
