Despite not knocking down a three all night, the Commodores came out with the win, 51-39.
It took Vanderbilt seven minutes and five seconds to score its first basket in Hinkle Fieldhouse. Both sides were faced with an offensive struggle in the first half.
Neither side could find a groove on offense, ending the first quarter with a combined 13 points. The Commodores were able to dominate the second quarter, going on a 14-2 run over eight and a half minutes.
Vanderbilt secured the lead at halftime, 20-11. Khamil Pierre led all scorers at the half with six points.
The second half continued to be a defensive heavy contest. It was a game of runs in the third quarter, which ended in a Vanderbilt scoring drought. The Commodores did not hit a field goal the last 4:29 of the quarter.
The battle continued into the fourth quarter. Despite starting the quarter on a two and a half minute drought, Vanderbilt made a push to take down Butler.
Vanderbilt improves to 9-1 after defeating Butler, 51-39.
Jordyn Cambridge led all scorers with 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Three quick takes
Defense makes up for offensive struggles
The Commodores finished the first half with 20 points, which is the least amount of points they have scored in the first half all season. The reason Vanderbilt was able to lead at the half is because of its defense.
Vanderbilt forced Butler to commit 18 turnovers in the first half and six more in the second half. The Commodores had also only allowed four points to be scored in the second quarter.
Vanderbilt held Butler to 39 points, the lowest amount an opponent had scored all season.
Take advantage of your opportunities
Despite the low score, Vanderbilt had gifted itself with many opportunities. The problem was not getting shots, it was hitting them.
Vanderbilt shot 33 shots in the first half, hitting 10 of those. The Commodores had also shot the ball 17 more times in the first half than Butler. By the end of the game, Vanderbilt had taken 20 more shots than Butler attempted.
Vanderbilt had also attempted nine three pointers, but did not connect on any of them. The Commodores will have to find a way to take advantage of those opportunities in the future, but tonight they were carried to a win by their defense.
A good way to end last road nonconference game
Tonight's game was the last contest Vanderbilt will play on the road before conference play. The only loss Vanderbilt has on the season came at NC State.
Obtaining any type of road win is a boost of confidence, but Butler is a solid program. The Bulldogs just defeated Big 10 team Wisconsin on the road.
