Washington State - Vanderbilt Preview

Vanderbilt Commodores (6) Vs Washington State Cougars (3)
Saturday, 3/17 @ 5:40
Betting Line From Bookmaker: Washington State -2.5

The Commodores easily dispatched George Washington in the first-round by a score of 77- 44. Vanderbilt beat the Colonials in every way. Washington State took down Oral Roberts 70- 54, but it wasn’t until about a quarter way through the second-half that they were able to pull away.

In round one, Vanderbilt was solid from the floor, hitting 43% of their shots and 39% of their threes. The Commodores shot 81% from the free throw stripe. The squad proved to have great ball movement, compiling 22 assists, and a fine defense, forcing 20 turnovers, stealing the ball six times and blocking 3 shots. The team’s biggest problem was a lack of discipline in giving fouls. The Commodores gave 22 fouls to George Washington’s 16.

Junior guard/forward Shan Foster put in 18 points, blocked 2 shots and grabbed 2 rebounds. Senior guard/forward Derrick Byars did it all, hitting for 12, grabbing 7 rebbies and handing off 5 assists.

In their game, the Washington State Cougars hit threes at 39% and put in shots from the field at 47%. Junior guard Kyle Weaver stole the ball at the end of the first half and laid it in at the buzzer, getting the Cougars to within 2 points of the Golden Eagles. After the break, the Cougars used that half-time momentum to propel them to victory.

Washington State uses three guards and two men upfront, who are backed up by a three-man bench. Off the bench, forward Ivory Clark played 29 minutes, tallied 6 rebounds and a team-best 19 points and 5 blocked shots. Weaver was good for 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 10 points. Sophomore guard Taylor Rochestie played one of his most productive games of the year, racking up 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. The team played disciplined ball, committing only 6 turnovers and blocking 8 shots. Their biggest problem lay in the fact that they gave 16 fouls.

Vanderbilt had a hot hand in game one, while Washington State played tough offense and great defense in their first contest. Vandy is one of those teams that can play above its head.

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