Déjà vu for Vanderbilt? It certainly feels that way.
Back on February 7, Vanderbilt staged a fierce comeback after trailing by 21 points against Oklahoma, only to fall short, 92-91. Fast forward to tonight, and the Commodores found themselves in a similar predicament, down by 21 with eight minutes left against Missouri. But this team wasn't ready to throw in the towel.
Led by the likes of Tyler Tanner, Chandler Bing, Tyler Nickel, and AK Okereke, Vanderbilt clawed their way back into contention, setting the stage for a thrilling finish. With just 1.8 seconds on the clock, Nickel drained a clutch 3-pointer to trim the deficit to a single point. Missouri's Mark Mitchell attempted to seal the deal with a long inbounds pass, but Tanner intercepted and launched a desperate shot that heartbreakingly rimmed out.
"It was a game where the highs were high, and the lows were low," reflected head coach Mark Byington. The Commodores had a shot at victory, but the real question is why they found themselves in such a deep hole to begin with.
Vanderbilt's déjà vu moment isn't just a coincidence. Byington addressed this in the locker room, reminding the team of their previous experience.
"We know the bad side of this," he said. "The bad side is what got us down 21, and the good side is the fight."
That fighting spirit is commendable, but it’s also exhausting, especially with a rivalry game looming on Saturday. Tanner, battling through illness, poured in 27 points against the Tigers, but he can't carry the load alone. The Commodores need more consistent contributions from the rest of the squad if they hope to turn these close calls into victories.
Twice now, Vanderbilt has clawed back from 21-point deficits only to fall short by a single point. This pattern can't become a trend, especially with the season's toughest challenges still ahead. Starting strong and maintaining momentum will be crucial if they want to avoid another heartbreaker on Saturday.