On the only game played Friday, No. 5 seed Vanderbilt beat South Dakota State 92-77 on a high-paced affair, to put an early end to the Jackrabbits’ Cinderella story. The No. 8 seed had upset Colorado State in the first round but was no match for the Commodores. Vanderbilt had five players scoring in double digits, led by Wade Baldwin’s 20 points. The guard also pitched in 10 rebounds and nine assists, finishing very close from a triple-double.
NIT bracket and schedule 2015: Vanderbilt advances after beating South Dakota St.
The Commodores rode a hot shooting game to dispatch the Jackrabbits.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
South Dakota State fought valiantly throughout, even leading at one point in the second half before a run by the Commodores put the game out of reach. Cody Larson led the Jackrabbits with 18 points but was inefficient from the field, a problem that plagued the whole team. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, finished the game with a field goal percentage and 3-point percentage of above 50 percent.
The only black marks on an otherwise great game for the Commodores was their deficient work on the glass and their inability to take care of the ball, which allowed South Dakota State to have nine extra possessions stemming from offensive rebounds and turnovers. Fortunately for them, hot shooting masks a lot of flaws.
The Commodores will now go on to face the winner of the Rhode Island Rams-Stanford Cardinal game.
Schedule
Saturday, March 21
No. 6 Alabama at No. 2 Miami (Fla.), 11 a.m. ET (ESPN)
The Crimson Tide crushed Illinois 79-58 in their first round matchup, trailing for just 13 seconds en-route to an easy win. Guard Levi Randolph led the way with 20 points in 11 shots, seven rebounds and five assists. Alabama simply dominated on both ends, finishing with a field goal percentage of 59.6 percent and allowing the Fighting Illini just 32.2 percent from the field.
Things weren't so easy for the Hurricanes in their first round game. Miami never trailed but North Carolina Central refused to go away, and after falling behind by double digits, cut the deficit to two in the final minute. Ultimately, the Hurricanes held on to win 75-71 thanks to clutch free throws by Sheldon McClellan, Manu Lecomte and Davon Reed.
Both Alabama and Miami showed they can put points on the board, so whoever plays better defense should emerge victorious.
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