Down goes another undefeated as the Texas Longhorns cruised to an upset win over the tenth-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores in an 80-64 win for their second straight win against a top 25 team.
Longhorns Get Key Performances from Tramon Mark and Dailyn Swain
There was quite a lot to like from the Longhorns on offense tonight, as Texas was able to get whatever it wanted against Vanderbilt. The Longhorns shot 52% from the floor while also raining in seven threes at 41% clip in a performance that’s sure to impress their head coach, Sean Miller.
That offensive outburst came thanks in part to the efforts of both Tramon Mark and Dailyn Swain, who both excelled tonight for the Longhorns. Mark finished with 21 points, which marked the third 20-point outing in five games for the senior. Swain almost notched a triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in a great all-around performance.
Tonight’s win will certainly help the Longhorns in their NCAA tournament hopes, as Texas came into the game as one of the four teams on the bubble in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology.
Vanderbilt’s Offense Can’t Keep Pace in Loss
It wasn’t the same story on the offensive end for Vanderbilt, as the team could not find any sort of rhythm on offense. The Commodores shot just 36% from the floor as the Longhorns were able to force Vanderbilt into taking tough shots throughout the game.
That tough night on offense was evident with players like AK Okereke and Tyler Nickel struggling mightily in the loss. Okereke finished with zero points as the senior forward eventually fouled out in the second half, while Nickel finished with just 10 points in a rough game overall for both players.
The bench also was unable to provide any spark for the Commodores to catch fire off of in the loss. Vanderbilt’s second unit only mustered seven points as the Commodores’ continued reliance on their starting lineup for any offensive production finally cracked in their first loss.
What’s Next for Texas and Vanderbilt
Following the game tonight, it’ll be drastically different for both teams in terms of their upcoming opponents this weekend. The Longhorns will face off against rival Texas A&M at home on Saturday. The Aggies are coming off an overtime loss to No. 24 Tennessee on Tuesday.
The Commodores will head home for a date with No.19 Florida on Saturday. The Gators are coming in on a three-game winning streak, with two of those three games coming against No. 21 Georgia and No. 24 Tennessee.
