South Carolina Upstate Spartans vs Vanderbilt Commodores Box Score on Nov 10, 2023

Vanderbilt found the win column after an opening-night loss, defeating South Carolina Upstate 74-67 Friday night in Nashville, Tenn.

Tasos Kamateros led the Commodores with 21 points, and Ezra Manjon and Paul Lewis added 16 and 10, respectively. Vanderbilt (1-1) shot 45.8 percent from the field and 36.4 percent (8-of-22) from 3-point range.

In the losing effort, USC Upstate (0-2) was led by 17 points apiece from Trae Broadnax and Miguel Ayesa. The Spartans shot 43.6 percent from the field and 50 percent (10-of-20) from 3-point range.

After trailing by four at halftime and continuing its slow start early in the second half, Vanderbilt was behind 42-41 with 11:10 remaining, but the Commodores produced some separation with a few timely 3-pointers by veteran transfers Evan Taylor and Kamateros.

For the second straight game, Vanderbilt was without Tyrin Lawrence, Ven-Allen Lubin and Lee Dort. From that trio, two are likely starters.

Lawrence was withheld due to what Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse called a foot sprain. Lubin has a hip sprain and Dort was sidelined due to a foot injury suffered this offseason.

Lawrence was selected as a second team All-Southeastern Conference player in the preseason by the league's coaches and projects to be among the Commodores' leading scorers.

Upstate led 31-27 after an ugly first half in which Vanderbilt shot 32 percent from the field and 1-for-12 from 3-point range. The Spartans capitalized by shooting 42.9 percent and making four 3-pointers. The difference was Vanderbilt's eight turnovers as opposed to USC Upstate's four.

Vanderbilt's slow start included a scoring drought of 5:01 and one of 3:52 in the first half, during which the Commodores scored only four points through the first 9:39 of the game.

It was largely the same story in the early second half until a 9-0 Vanderbilt run put the Commodores ahead 50-42. The Commodores followed that up a few minutes later with a 7-0 run led by Manjon and Kamateros.

--Field Level Media