NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mouphtaou Yarou scored 16 points to lead Villanova to a 62-52 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Yarou made 10 of 12 free throws and JayVaughn Pinkston added 13 off the bench as the Wildcats (4-3) snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Wildcats led by eight early in the second half, but the Commodores pulled to within 46-44 with 7:18 left. Vanderbilt (2-4) made just two baskets the rest of the way and shot just 36.4 percent (8 of 22) after halftime.
Villanova also blitzed the Commodores on the boards, outrebounding them 34-28. Vanderbilt finished with just four offensive rebounds - all coming in the first half.
Rod Odom led the Commodores with 14 points. Kedren Johnson added 12. Freshman Kevin Bright notched his first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
The teams had met just once before. Villanova defeated Vanderbilt 80-73 for the 1994 NIT championship.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
