Duke Miles dazzled the crowd in Nashville on Friday afternoon just down the road from Vanderbilt’s campus.
This wasn’t a pure home victory over rival Tennessee, but it was a very important one, and Miles was at the center of it all, pouring in 30 points on an astounding 11-for-14 shooting to help 4th-seeded Vanderbilt outlast the 5th-seeded Volunteers in a 75-68 victory in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
The rivals who were both playing in their home state but on a neutral court this time were locked in a 31-31 halftime tie before the Commodores (25-7) got the final say to advance to Saturday’s semifinals against top-seeded Florida (1 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Gators fought past 9th-seeded Kentucky, 71-63, earlier in the afternoon.
But this fight among hated rivals was tilted in Vanderbilt’s favor thanks to Miles, a senior guard who averaged a hair under 16 points per game this season but saved a special performance for the bright lights of the SEC Tournament in Vandy’s home city. Miles was 4 for 5 from 3-point territory and made all 4 of his free throw attempts in an incredibly efficient afternoon. He added 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals with just 2 turnovers in 33 minutes.
Vandy basketball’s social media account took a little shot at the rival school afterward, celebrating the win with a post that carried with it the headline: “The Commodore State,” with the accompanying anchor down emojis, of course.
Miles’ performance also delivered the rubber game of this rivalry, after Tennessee won on Vanderbilt’s home court on Feb. 21 before the Commodores got some payback just last Saturday with a victory in Knoxville. So, each team had won on the other’s home court, appropriately setting up the rubber match on a neutral court, albeit much closer to Vandy’s campus.
Tyler Tanner was the only other Vanderbilt player in double figures on Friday, scoring 19 points to go with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Miles and Tanner helped the Commodores prevail despite shooting just 40% from the field and 26% from 3-point territory. But Vandy thrived at the free throw line, making 22 of its 26 attempts, and it turned the ball over just 6 times.
Tennessee (22-11) outrebounded Vanderbilt, 46-34, but it couldn’t overcome 38% shooting from the field and a 62% clip from the free throw line.
The Vols also couldn’t win with star Nate Ament being held to 12 points on 1-for-13 shooting. Ament, who fought off a late-season injury to return for the SEC Tournament, was 0 for 5 from 3-point territory but did pull down 11 rebounds. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led Tennessee with 21 points and 4 assists.
With Vandy safely into the semifinals, here is how the Kalshi market sees the Commodores’ chances to go the distance and win the SEC Tournament:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
