Vanderbilt’s first road game of the season would provide a tough test for the Commodores’ two freshmen stars, Darius Garland and Simi Shittu.
Consider that test passed with flying colors. Garland scored 21 points, Shittu had 14 points and 15 rebounds, and the team’s third freshman, Aaron Nesmith, chipped in 10 points as the Commodores went into the Galen Center and beat the USC Trojans, 82-78.
Things got off to a bumpy start as Vanderbilt wasn’t getting shots to fall — the Commodores would end the game shooting just 38 percent from the floor — but they managed to manufacture some offense by hitting the glass, with 15 offensive rebounds in the first half and 25 for the game.