The No. 11 Vanderbilt Commodores (16-0) continued their home stand Saturday afternoon as they played host to the LSU Tigers (12-4). Coming off a thrilling victory against No. 13 Alabama, the Commodores held off the Tigers 84-73 to sustain their undefeated season. Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles combined for 37 points and 8 assists, with Tyler Nickel adding in a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. 

Grind it out 

Vanderbilt teams of the past had issues playing down to competition. This year’s Commodores do not have that problem. Going against an LSU team that was missing its best player in guard Dedan Thomas Jr., Vanderbilt refused to pull its punches. The first half was a true showcase of Vanderbilt basketball between a blistering offensive pace and a suffocating active defense.  

However, a team as scrappy as LSU wouldn’t go away easily. Vanderbilt endured multiple dry spells in the second half, with the Tigers capitalizing with key runs of their own. The lead shrank to as low as seven points with the game becoming more of a grind-out battle between the two sides. Even then, Vanderbilt showcased plenty of resilience within the final twenty minutes of play, allowing itself to escape with an 11-point victory. 

In general, Vanderbilt won the battles it needed most. The Commodores won the turnover contest 14 to 7, outpaced LSU on fastbreak opportunities and ultimately overcame the mental battle after a grueling hours-long game against Alabama earlier in the week. 

A Nickel and some dimes 

Nickel had a relatively quiet game against Alabama with only 12 points. The senior forward only hit one 3-pointer against the Crimson Tide and went 1-for-4 overall, his lowest shooting percentage since the Memphis game. Against LSU, Nickel returned to form with the help of his teammates, especially Miles and Tanner. Nickel logged 15 points in the first half alone and put down four 3-pointers, ultimately finishing with a stat line of 19 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. 

The Vanderbilt offense appeared to be flowing through its typical game plan for most of the contest. The stellar guard play from Tanner and Miles provided Nickel and others with plenty of opportunities for open shots from behind the arc. The second half saw the Commodores miss many of those opportunities, but the offense played well enough to get those chances.  

More notably, Nickel displayed a part of his game that has seen substantial growth: shot creation. Nickel has evolved far beyond a mere catch-and-shoot forward and, against LSU, Nickel put the ball on the ground to find his own shot a handful of times. It adds another layer to the Commodores’ offense, and for a shooter as lethal as Nickel, being able to get a quick bucket on his own helps him get into a rhythm swiftly.  

Tanner takeover 

Tanner didn’t necessarily replicate the dazzling performance against Alabama that caught the eyes of the nation. Even though he led all Commodore scorers, Tanner went 7-for-18 from the field, which included going 0-for-5 from behind the arc. Still, Tanner came through for the Commodores when it mattered, and a strong second-half performance is what allowed Vanderbilt to keep LSU at bay. 

Tanner had nine points in the second half, with five of those points coming from the free throw line. He showed heightened aggression when attacking the basket and placed the Tigers in foul trouble, allowing other Commodores to also get to the line with ease. By the end, Tanner secured his fifth 20-point game of the year and played a substantial role in ensuring Vanderbilt improved to 16-0.  

The Commodores will continue their SEC schedule on Wednesday, Jan. 14, as they travel to Austin, Texas, to take on the Longhorns with tipoff set for 8:00 p.m. CST.