March 19, 2026 — Tyler Tanner scored 26 points and Vanderbilt overcame an 11-point first-half deficit to beat No. 12 seed McNeese 78-68 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The win snapped a 14-year tournament drought for the No. 5 seed Commodores (27-8), who advance to face Nebraska in the second round on Saturday.
First half
McNeese came out firing. Back-to-back triples from Larry Johnson and Tyshawn Archie fueled an early 16-5 Cowboys lead with 15:13 left in the first half. The Cowboys converted six Vanderbilt turnovers into 13 first-half points and shot 38.5% from three-point range to keep the Commodores on their heels.
Vanderbilt steadied itself behind Devin McGlockton, who went 5-for-5 from the field and scored 10 first-half points. The Commodores chipped away with a 14-2 run that gave them their first lead at 30-28 on a Tyler Nickel three with 4:09 remaining. AK Okereke drilled a three at the 1:09 mark to push the Vandy lead to 38-33, and the Commodores took a 38-35 advantage into the break.
Second half
Vanderbilt opened the second half on a 7-0 run, capped by a Nickel three off a Tanner assist that extended the lead to 45-35. McNeese answered with a 7-0 spurt of its own — highlighted by a Johnson driving layup — to cut it to 45-42 with 15:55 left. The Cowboys got within three on multiple occasions but could never reclaim the lead. Tanner took over down the stretch, scoring 17 second-half points including a pair of pull-up threes that pushed the margin to eight and then 10. Vanderbilt led by as many as 12 in the final minute and never looked back.
Top performers
| Player | PTS | FG | 3PT | REB | AST | MIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt | 26 | 7-16 | 3-8 | 7 | 5 | 36:36 |
| Garwey Dual, McNeese | 16 | 7-13 | 2-4 | 3 | 6 | 34:04 |
| Larry Johnson, McNeese | 15 | 4-17 | 1-6 | 5 | 0 | 27:50 |
| Duke Miles, Vanderbilt | 13 | 4-9 | 1-5 | 1 | 3 | 28:36 |
| Tyshawn Archie, McNeese | 13 | 6-16 | 1-5 | 2 | 2 | 29:43 |
| Devin McGlockton, Vanderbilt | 12 | 6-6 | 0-0 | 8 | 0 | 31:54 |
| Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt | 12 | 3-9 | 3-8 | 3 | 2 | 32:52 |
Game notes
Vanderbilt shot 51.0% from the field compared to McNeese’s 36.2%, a gap that widened steadily in the second half. The Commodores dominated in the paint with a 34-22 advantage and outrebounded the Cowboys 37-34. McGlockton was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor and added eight boards. Tanner drew nine fouls and went 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. McNeese went 9-for-9 at the stripe but couldn’t overcome 69 field-goal attempts at just 36.2% shooting. The Cowboys held the lead for 14:38 of game time, but Vanderbilt controlled the final 23:02.
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