Vanderbilt basketball fell to Miami 109-96 in their final preseason exhibition at Watsco Center, and let’s be real, the biggest takeaway isn’t the final score, it is how much the defense struggled. The Commodores got behind early, never took the lead, and Miami pretty much got whatever it wanted on offense. This team needs to figure out its defensive identity, and fast.
Offense Showed Some Fight, But It Wasn’t Enough
It was not all bad news on the scoring front, which is something. Despite the tough loss, Vanderbilt did manage to put up 96 points, which shows there is some offensive firepower there. Ace Glass led the team with 19 points, and Chandler Bing was right behind him, dropping 18. That is solid production from those guys. Plus, the team’s free throw percentage was actually better than it was in their exhibition game against UAB. Every little positive counts, right?
Tanner Had a Quiet Night, But the Defense Was the Real Issue
Even with the team putting up a decent 96 points, Tyler Tanner had an off night, only scoring 10 points on 3-for-10 shooting. But frankly, that is not the story here. The real problem was the defense, or lack thereof. Giving up 109 points is just not going to cut it in the regular season. Miami tore them apart, getting open looks and basically dictating the pace all game. The Commodores tried to narrow the deficit a few times, showing some heart, but that early hole created by the poor defense was just too deep to overcome. You cannot win games when the other team scores at will.
The real games start soon. Vanderbilt opens its 2026-27 season against Bellarmine on November 2, tip-off at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. That defense has to lock in, or it is going to be a long season, because giving up 109 points is a problem that needs to be fixed right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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