James Siakam Powers Vanderbilt Past Texas A&M 66-55

James Siakam put together his best game as a Commodore on Saturday, keeping Vanderbilt over .500 with a double-double that downed Texas A&M 66-55. The junior forward had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks to improve Vandy to 10-8 on the season.

Siakam was the engine that drove this team early on, as the Aggies had little answer for his aggressive game in the post. Vanderbilt needed every one of his contributions. The shorthanded 'Dores lost Damian Jones to fouls in 24 minutes and battled through below-average showings from Rod Odom and Dai-Jon Parker on Saturday. Fortunately, Siakam was able to put together a huge showing in the paint and at the free-throw line to lead his team to victory.

The two teams battled back and forth through the first half before the Commodores pulled away in the second half. Kyle Fuller came to life with 16 points to give Vandy a backcourt counterbalance to Siakam's play up front. That was enough to keep the Aggies at arms length throughout the final 15 minutes and give the 'Dores an easy win after a season filled with frustrating losses.

Vanderbilt held A&M to just 33.3% shooting in the win. Kourtney Roberson led the Aggies with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Fuller had 19 points, and Luke Kornet came off the bench to prove his value as a floor-stretching forward with a nine-point performance.

Vandy improved to 2-4 in the SEC, while Texas A&M fell to 3-3 in conference play. The 'Dores will return to action on Wednesday when they head to Athens to face the 10-8 Georgia Bulldogs.