Luke Kornet Breaks Out, Leads Vanderbilt Past Tennessee State 78-46

Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings lauded Luke Kornet's shooting when he signed the overlooked recruit back in the spring of 2013. On Sunday, the sophomore proved that Stallings's comments weren't just lip service.

Kornet made his first nine shots from the field and missed only one field goal all night en route to a career-high 24 points in a 78-46 win over Tennessee State Sunday night. The seven-foot forward also pulled down seven rebounds and blocked a pair of TSU shots in just 25 minutes of court time.

The Commodores never trailed against their cross-city opponents. It only took them nine minutes to open up a double digit lead against an overmatched Tiger team. Vandy finished out the first half with a 14-0 run that essentially turned the rest of the game into an exhibition showing of Luke Kornet's Pop-a-Shot follies. He didn't miss an attempt until midway through the second half.

His career night overshadowed an efficient performance from center Damian Jones. Jones needed just four field goal attempts to score 13 points. He also added eight rebounds and two blocks in 25 minutes. Wade Baldwin IV continued his strong play with the team's second unit. He dished out a career-high 10 assists (four to Kornet) while adding eight points of his own. Riley LaChance also showed his ability to add a scoring punch from the backcourt, chipping in 13 points.

The win improved Vanderbilt to 3-0 on the season, though they have yet to travel away from Memorial Gym or face an opponent that had to drive more than 20 minutes to get to the game. They'll host Norfolk State on Tuesday night before traveling up to Brooklyn for the Barclays Center Classic this weekend. Remember - if you need discounted tickets for their showdown with Rutgers in the Big Apple, AoG has you covered.