NASHVILLE, Tenn. --- The No. 17 Vanderbilt Commodores outscored Gardner-Webb by a 46-29 margin in the first half, and knocked down 11-of-23 from behind the arc en route to a 98-62 victory in non-conference play on Monday evening.
Vanderbilt (2-0) knocked down 58.2 percent of its attempts from the floor on the night, including a 47.8 percent clip from three-point range, while holding Gardner-Webb (0-2) to a 42 percent mark from the floor. The Commodores won the battle on the glass by a 35-25 margin, while converting 19 Runnin' Bulldog turnovers into 35 points.
Tyrell Nelson (Charlotte, N.C.) led the way for Gardner-Webb with 12 points and six rebounds, connecting on 6-of-11 from the floor, as Harold McBride (Bronx, N.Y.) and Dylan Poston (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) added 10 and nine points, respectively. Jamaal Robateau (Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia) added five boards, while David Efianayi (Orlando, Fla.) and Laquincy Rideau (West Palm Beach, Fla.) each chipped in eight points.
Jeff Roberson paced the Commodores with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting while pulling down a game-high eight boards. Riley LaChance added 13 points with a 4-for-7 night from the floor, including a 3-for-5 clip from downtown, as Luke Kornet and Damian Jones each chipped in 10 points. LaChance dished out a game-high six assists.
The Runnin' Bulldogs started strong, knocking down their first two shots to take an early 5-2 lead before three straight buckets gave the Commodore a 10-5 advantage at the 15:11 mark. Vanderbilt would parlay the spurt into a 19-0 run, surging out to a 21-5 advantage with 12:29 to play in the first half.
Gardner-Webb fought back over the next several minutes, trimming the margin to 26-13 with an 8-5 spurt that was capped by a Poston trey at the 9:15 mark. Vanderbilt would push the lead back to 15 with nine of the next 16 points, widening the gap to 35-20 following a dunk from Jones with 4:57 left in the opening period.
The Commodores closed the first half on an 11-9 run, converting a pair of late free throws through Roberson before McBride drained a buzzer-beater from 30 feet, cutting the lead to 46-29 at the intermission.
After Gardner-Webb opened the second half with back-to-back treys from Ivey and McBride, Vanderbilt answered with nine straight points to push the lead to 55-35 with 15:51 to play.
The Commodores would stretch the run to 15-0 before a pair of Nelson free throws, and a three-point play by David Efianayi (Orlando, Fla.) trimmed the margin to 61-40 at the 13:39 mark.
Vanderbilt quickly regained the momentum with a 19-9 run, pushing the lead to 80-49 on a three-pointer by Fisher-Davis with 5:45 left on the clock. The Commodores finished the game on an 18-13 spurt to equal the final margin of 98-62.
Gardner-Webb returns to the court on Thursday for the Runnin' Bulldogs' home opener when they host Toccoa Falls College at 8:00 pm in Paul Porter Arena.
