NCAA BASKETBALL: Vanderbilt tops McNeese for 1st NCAA Tournament win since 2012

Tyler Tanner scored 26 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists as fifth-seeded Vanderbilt secured a 78-68 victory over No. 12 McNeese in Thursday's NCAA Tournament first-round South Region matchup in Oklahoma City.

Devin McGlockton added 12 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds for the Commodores (27-8), while Duke Miles contributed 13 points and Tyler Nickel finished with 12. This marks Vanderbilt's first NCAA Tournament win since 2012.

"We just wanted to come out [in the second half] with more energy," Tanner said, reflecting on the Commodores holding a three-point lead at the break. "We had a long halftime and we could recoup a little bit, get our energy back, get our legs back under us, and that's what we did."

Garwey Dual led McNeese (28-6) with 16 points and six assists. Southland Conference Freshman of the Year Larry Johnson scored 15 points but struggled from the field, going 4-of-17, while Tyshawn Archie added 13 and Javohn Garcia chipped in 10.

The Cowboys dominated the turnover battle, 13-6, and grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, but Vanderbilt outshot them 51.0% (26 of 51) to 36.2% (25 of 69).

"That was a hard-fought game, an entertaining game to watch," McNeese head coach Bill Armstrong said. "I thought we were able to get our game plan into the game for the most part. Turned them over 13 times, which they don't do much. Won the turnover margin by seven. That gave us a chance to win."

Miles and Nickel hit consecutive 3-pointers to give Vanderbilt a 45-35 lead with 18:12 remaining. McNeese got as close as three points, but Archie left the game with 4:21 remaining in the fourth quarter due to a cramp and did not return. Tanner then hit a step-back 3-pointer on the Commodores' next possession, pushing the lead to eight with 3:51 left. McNeese, stuck in a 6:30 field-goal drought, never got closer again.

Vanderbilt led 38-35 at halftime, with 10 points from McGlockton, mostly on open layups after exploiting a weakness in the Cowboys' 1-3-1 zone defense. Thirteen of the Commodores' 14 first-half baskets were assisted.

McNeese jumped out to an early 16-5 lead on Johnson's jumper just 4:47 into the game. The Cowboys took 11 more shots than Vanderbilt in the first half thanks to 10 offensive rebounds and an 8-3 turnover advantage.

Vanderbilt will face Nebraska on Saturday. The Cornhuskers earned their first NCAA Tournament win in school history with a 76-47 victory over Troy.

—Field Level Media/Reuters