It wasn’t pretty, but Vanderbilt (19-4, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) finally got that first SEC road win against Georgia. The victory ended a four-game losing streak on the road that the Commodores were more than happy to forget.
“It’s like getting that monkey off of your back,” said senior guard Alex Gordon. “We had a tough road schedule early on, so it felt great to get that win.”
The Georgia game welcomed Ross Neltner back into the starting lineup after two games coming off the bench. When the forward made the most of his opportunity, his teammates were happy to have a senior on the floor.
“It felt great to have Ross back. He’s been playing with us for a while, so we all have confidence in him,” Gordon said. “I told him after the game we need him to play like that for the rest of the season for us to be successful. He made big plays to get us in the Sweet 16 and he made plays for us the other night.”
Coach Stallings was also impressed with the senior’s performance, stressing the importance of experience in SEC competition.
“I thought Ross had earned his way back into the lineup, and his play was a big key for us,” Stallings said. “Senior experience is supposed to give you productivity in tough games, especially on the road, so we need him to keep playing that way.”
When the Commodores take on South Carolina (11-10, 3-4) this Saturday, they’ll face a rejuvenated Gamecocks squad. Since losing in Memorial Gym, South Carolina has witnessed a coaching change and new lineup that has gotten Coach Stallings’ attention.
“They’re going with a smaller lineup now, hitting a lot of threes,” Stallings said. “I think they’re playing their best basketball of the season right now.”
Last Saturday, the Gamecocks upset #22 Ole Miss on the road, with sophomore Devan Downey scoring 25 points. The guard torched Vandy for 22 points earlier in the season, so containing Downey will be a priority.
Still, Coach Stallings will rely on his regular lineup adjusting to South Carolina’s new, quicker look.
“We’ll play the way we play. If that proves unsatisfactory, then we can make adjustments when the game is going on, but we’re going to rely on our style to win,” Stallings said.
Gordon agrees that the Commodores won’t see the same South Carolina from a month ago, but the preparation never changes.
“They’ll be pumped up, they just had a big win against Ole Miss,” Gordon said. “They’re playing a lot better, but you always have to prepare hard to get the next win.”
