Vanderbilt won its first game as a ranked team this season in thrilling fashion. Now the team is eager to see what it can do at full strength.
Lance Goulbourne is expected to play Sunday after sitting out the last two games due to an NCAA suspension when the No. 24 Commodores host Davidson.
Vanderbilt (10-2) has won three in a row, including a 77-76 victory over Marquette on Wednesday. Andre Walker converted a layup with 4.1 seconds left and five players scored in double figures as the Commodores rallied from a 37-34 halftime deficit.
Walker, who missed the previous four games with mononucleosis, finished with seven points, eight rebounds and five assists while Jeffrey Taylor scored a team-high 19 points. Leading scorer John Jenkins added 13, but shot 4 of 21 from the field, going 2 of 15 from 3-point range.
"Like we've been doing the last couple of games, when someone is out or not playing very well, other people have to step up," Taylor said. "When someone else is down, we have guys on the team that can step up and make plays for us."
Taylor has certainly stepped up recently. He's averaging 17.2 points over the last five games, up from his season average of 13.9. He's led the team in scoring the last three games.
Taylor's increased production not only helped compensate for Walker's absence, but that of Goulbourne is well. On Wednesday, the 6-foot-8 junior completed a two-game suspension handed down by the NCAA for buying a campus parking pass through a senior who worked as a manager for the team at the time.
Goulbourne's return will provide a significant boost for Vanderbilt. He is second on the team with 6.7 rebounds per game and also averages 8.7 points. Goulbourne had played in all 10 games before the punishment, including starting the last two. It's expected he'll come off the bench Sunday.
"We're looking forward to being at full strength," coach Kevin Stallings said.
This is an opportune time for Vanderbilt to return to full strength with the SEC season set to open next Saturday at South Carolina. The Commodores are looking to win their 20th consecutive non-conference home game.
Davidson (7-5) has won four of five, although its last victory came over Division III foe St. Joseph's (Maine). The Wildcats had their highest-scoring game in four years, defeating the Monks 108-39.
Davidson shot a season-high 59.4 percent, went 12 of 27 from 3-point range and held St. Joseph's to 18 second-half points. Jake Cohen scored 16 points and Chris Czerapowicz did all his scoring from long distance, connecting on 5 of 11.
Cohen is averaging team highs of 14.9 points and 6.6 rebounds. Czerapowicz, a freshman from Sweden, made his Davidson debut against St. Joseph's.
The Wildcats, who are 1-4 on the road, have lost seven in a row against Top 25 teams. They are 1-2 against the Commodores, with the teams last meeting in 1985 at Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt won that game, 78-69.
Vanderbilt is 41-6 against members of the Southern Conference, including an 86-73 win over Appalachian State on Nov. 27.
