NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On Saturday afternoon, the Wofford College men's basketball team was unable to end the game on top in a back-and-fourth loss by a 65-62 margin to Vanderbilt at Memorial Gymnasium. Down 34-25 at the half, Wofford used a 10-0 run to take the lead to start the second half. After the Terriers had a one-point lead four different times in the half, the Commodores had a one-point lead with just under a minute to go and were able to close out the contest from the free throw line.     
 
With the win the Terriers' record moves to 5-4 to start the season, while the Commodores even their record at 4-4.  
 
B.J. Mack led the Terriers in scoring with 19 points along with four rebounds and four assists. Messiah Jones had 16 points. Corey Tripp and Amarri Tice had six rebounds each as the Terriers had a 34 to 30 edge on the boards. The Commodores had four players in double figures, led by Liam Robbins with 14 points and Tyrin Lawrence with 13 points.  
 
"We didn't start the game with the urgency that we needed to," said head coach Jay McAuley. "When it mattered the most, we gave up a lot of easy baskets on personnel errors. Vanderbilt is a really talented team and was tough to guard. We got into foul trouble and lost trust in each other and stopped doing the things that got us in a position to win the game. We have to learn from it. I told our team that to win the glass, win the points in the paint - the tough things - now we have to do the mentally tough things to close games out and know what we are doing at the most critical times."
 
The Commodores scored the first four points before a three pointer by B.J. Mack. A second three-pointer of the game by Myles Stute gave Vanderbilt a 10-5 lead and Wofford took a time out. Carson McCorkle hit a three to cut it to 10-8 after four minutes of play. Vanderbilt's Stute hit another three to build a 16-10 lead before a three by Jackson Sivills at the 12:50 mark made it 16-13. Two minutes later, the Commodores extended the advantage to 26-15 with a 10-2 run that included two three pointers. Messiah Jones and B.J. Mack added buckets, along with a pair of free throws by Jones to cut the lead back to 26-21 with eight minutes left in the first half. At the three-minute mark, the Vanderbilt lead was 34-25. Neither team scored in the final three minutes of play to end the half.
 
Wofford opened the second half with a bucket and free throw by Messiah Jones, followed by a three-pointer by B.J. Mack to make it a 34-31 game a minute into the half. Kyler Filewich continued the 10-0 run with a pair of lay-ups to give the Terriers a 35-34 lead at 17:20. The Commodores ended the run with a three-pointer. A bucket and free throw by Messiah Jones gave Wofford a 38-37 lead, but the Commodores again answered with a three.
 
After a three pointer by B.J. Mack, the Vanderbilt lead was 44-43 at the 12:00 mark. Mack added a jumper for a 45-44 lead and after trading buckets the Commodores hit a three for a 51-47 advantage. Wofford pulled within one point at 53-52 with B.J. Mack's fourth three-pointer of the game, but Vanderbilt had a quick 4-0 run. A minute later, Jackson Paveletzke had a bucket for a 57-54 score but a lay-up for the Commodores kept it a five-point lead. The advantage remained at five with a 62-57 score with 3:43 remaining. Jackson Paveletzke chipped in a pair of free throws to make it a three-point game and a lay-up by Kyler Filewich made it 62-61 with under a minute to go. Wofford trailed 64-61 with 22 seconds on the clock and with 2.5 left B.J. Mack was fouled and made the first with the second missed intentionally. Vanderbilt got the rebound and made one free throw for a 65-62 lead and Wofford was unable to get a final shot off.
 
Quick Hits

• From three, Wofford shot 33.3% (6-of-18), while Vanderbilt was at 34.8% (8-of-23).
• The Terriers went 8-of-12 (66.7%) from the free throw line, while Vanderbilt was 5-of-9 (55.6%).
• Wofford out-rebounded Vanderbilt by a 34 to 30 margin and had a 13 to 5 advantage in second chance points.
• The teams each had 15 turnovers in the game and each team had seven steals.
• B.J. Mack tied a career-high with four three pointers.
• There were eight lead changes in the game and one tie.
• It was the sixth all-time meeting between the two teams, with Vanderbilt holding a 6-0 lead in the series.
• The game marked the 100th of head coach Jay McAuley's career (58-42).

 
Up Next
The Terriers are back home on Tuesday, December 6, when they host Coastal Carolina at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in a 7:30 p.m. contest.