Jan. 7, 2012
Final Stats | Quotes | Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn.---John Jenkins scored 17 points, Jeffery Taylor 16 and Brad Tinsley 12 to lead Vanderbilt to a 65-35 victory over Auburn in the SEC opener for both teams in Memorial Gymnasium on Saturday. The Commodores made 13-of-29 from 3-point range.
After Varez Ward made a 3-pointer, Vanderbilt (10-4, 1-0) scored 10 straight points in 1:43 to take an 11-3 lead in the opening four minutes. The Commodores made their first five 3-point attempts and only missed one field goal of their first nine as they closed out an 8-0 run racing to a 24-9 lead almost halfway through the first half.
Auburn (10-5, 0-1) scored six straight points to close to within 30-17 with seven minutes left but that is as close as the Tigers would get the rest of the way.
"The bottom line is I'm doing an awful job," said Auburn head coach Tony Barbee. "This one is on me. Last year, we were not very talented and not SEC -level talent. Our talent level hasn't changed much. We got them to play above what they were. I am doing an awful job because we are not doing that this year."
Holding a 38-19 halftime lead, Vanderbilt scored the first five points of the second half en route to an 11-2 run to take a 49-21 lead with 16:20 to play.
Vanderbilt outshot Auburn 44.9 percent to 27.3 percent from the field and 13-of-29 (.448) to 3-of-13 (.231) from 3-point range. The Tigers were also 2-of-10 from the foul line and were outrebounded 42-34.
Auburn lost its fifth-straight SEC opener and eighth of its last nine while losing its sixth-straight game to Vanderbilt.
The Tigers return to action in the SEC home opener against No. 2 Kentucky on Wednesday at 7 pm Central in Auburn Arena. The game is televised on the SEC Network.