Mark Byington is not letting his Vanderbilt Commodores squad get comfortable despite having a hot 6-0 start to the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Vanderbilt secured an 83-78 win over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Wednesday evening during the quarterfinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis Invitational. This improved their record to a perfect 6-0 start, coming off of victories over Lipscomb, UCF, Eastern Kentucky, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and Texas Southern.
Byington reflected on the team's latest win after the game, per reporter Joey Dwyer. He noted how close the game was as his team had opportunities to create more distance from them and the Hilltoppers but didn't capitalize on them.
“We were a play or two away from really separating the game and we just didn't do that. The turnovers were too much. We're better than that. Anything we did wrong today, I know we can fix,” Byington said.
How Mark Byington, Vanderbilt performed vs. Western Kentucky
Mark Byington can have his critiques on how No. 24 Vanderbilt won the game over Western Kentucky. Nonetheless, a win is a win and the Commodores remain undefeated so far this season.
The Commodores was rolling on the offensive side of the ball, taking a 40-35 lead at halftime. Even as the Hilltoppers kept things close by scoring 43 points in the second half, Vanderbilt matched them on that front to secure the five-point victory.
Shot accuracy, ball movement and stocks (steals and blocks) made the difference in this matchup. The Commodores prevailed in all three categories by making 45% of their shot attempts, creating 18 assists and recording 17 stocks. It wasn't the same for the Hilltoppers as they made just 38% of their total attempts, dished out 13 assists, and produced eight stocks.
Three players scored in double-digits for Vanderbilt in the win. Duke Miles led the way with 28 points, five rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. He shot 6-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 12-of-12 from the free-throw line. Devin McGlockton came next with 22 points and three rebounds, while Tyler Tanner had 11 points and three assists. Meanwhile, Frankie Collins provided eight points and nine assists.
The No. 24 Commodores will look forward to their next matchup of the Battle 4 Atlantis. They face the VCU Rams in the semifinals on Nov. 27 at 12 p.m. ET.
