Vanderbilt men's basketball doubles down, beats South Carolina 75-64 in road rematch

COLUMBIA — Vanderbilt men's basketball hardly wavered in Tuesday's rematch with South Carolina, handling the Gamecocks 75-64 at Colonial Life Arena.

The Commodores dominated from the opening whistle, exploding out to a 15-2 lead behind three consecutive 3-pointers in the first five minutes. South Carolina had no response, failing to score a second field goal for nearly eight minutes.

The first time South Carolina and Vanderbilt met in Nashville, the Gamecocks forced overtime on a buzzer-beater before ultimately falling 84-79. In Columbia, South Carolina held Vanderbilt to fewer total points but scored just 18 points in the first half.

Though the Gamecocks mounted a late comeback and outscored the Commodores 46-37 in the second half, it was ultimately too little too late.

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Commodores dominate boards

The Gamecocks are a weak rebounding team — they rank 11th out of 13 SEC teams, averaging 34.6 per game — but their performance on the boards against Vanderbilt doomed them. At halftime, the Commodores had doubled South Carolina 30 to 15, and they finished with 48 rebounds to 34. The difference was most stark on offensive boards: Vanderbilt logged 19 to the Gamecocks' 10.

"We've really talked about getting to the boards every time as part of our plan," Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse said. " We have a rebound report after every game, so I'm pretty sure they're going to be happy about this one."

The bright spot for South Carolina was forward Josh Gray, who came down with a team-high 12 rebounds. It was his fifth performance with double-digit rebounds since the start of SEC play. The Commodores were led by Robbins with eight.

"I think (Gray) has just found his niche. He's found something that he can do that really helps us," Gamecocks coach Lamont Paris said. "I think it's really sparked his confidence, which is the beginning of growth and improvement."

GG Jackson disappears — again

Freshman star GG Jackson has not started a game for South Carolina since his Instagram Live rant after a two-point loss to Arkansas. He played just 12 minutes in the Gamecocks' win over Ole Miss on Saturday, and was limited against Vanderbilt, playing 16 minutes.

When Jackson was on the floor, South Carolina played worse. He finished with two points, one rebound and the lowest plus-minus on the team at -30, and the Gamecocks went on their largest 8-0 run at the start of the second half before he subbed in. As the team closed Vanderbilt's lead late in the game, Jackson did not see the floor and stopped participating in the team huddle, sitting on the end of the bench or standing at the back with a towel around his neck.

"I didn't notice any of that to be honest. I'm into the game and the five guys that are on the court ... but I'm sure he was frustrated. He didn't play particularly well, which happens to everyone," Paris said. "My job is to try to win the basketball game ... I thought my best chance at that point was that group that we have that started the half."

Free throws matter amid shooting struggles

Neither team had a good day offensively: South Carolina shot 36.2% from the field and 25.9% on 3-pointers, while Vanderbilt shot 38.5% from the field and 27% from three. The Commodores were led in scoring by center Liam Robbins with 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting.

The biggest disparity early was in free throw shooting. Vanderbilt was not called for a foul in the first half, and Commodores went 3-of-4 at the line before halftime. South Carolina's comeback in the second half was helped significantly by free throws: The team finished 15-of-18 to Vanderbilt's 15-of-23.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Vanderbilt men's basketball beats South Carolina 75-64 in road rematch