ORLANDO — UCF‘s first regular-season, power-conference men’s basketball showdown quickly turned into a shooting showcase for visiting Vanderbilt.
Duke Miles scored 20 points, while Tyler Tanner, Tyler Nickel and Frankie Collins chipped in 17 apiece as the Commodores topped triple digits for the second time in as many outings in a 105-93 victory Saturday, Nov. 8, at Addition Financial Arena.
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Vanderbilt led by as many as 27 in the second half, moving the ball across the floor with ease and hitting nearly 56% of their shots — including 14 from 3-point range.
“When we pass the ball well, we shoot the ball well,” Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington said. “We have guys that will make plays for their teammates. … We had a really good first half. The second half, we had open shots, but we just didn’t make them. Sometimes it goes that way. But shooting should be a strength of ours.”
Riley Kugel matched a career-high with 25 points for UCF, which played preseason tune-ups against Duke and LSU last month. Devan Cambridge was the only other Knights starter to finish in double figures, providing 12 points and five rebounds.
Here are three takeaways from a matinee that quickly got away from the Knights.
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Vandy overwhelms UCF from 3-point range in 1st half
Vanderbilt’s Tyler Nickel (5) shoots a three-pointer during their game against Lipscomb Monday, Nov. 3, 2025 at Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym.
UCF tried its best to keep pace with Vanderbilt in the first half, but the Commodores could not be stopped from long range.
Vandy buried 10 of its 19 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc in the opening 20 minutes. Nickel led the way with a trio of triples, 11 points and a game-best plus-19 rating in the first half.
“Tyler Nickel, some of those in the first half were just him being him. They weren’t really plays,” Byington said.
Nickel ignited a run of five straight field goals over the final 3½ minutes before halftime with back-to-back 3s. Jalen Washington followed with a dunk, and AK Okereke scored a pair of buckets to extend the Commodores’ advantage to 19.
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Vanderbilt poured it on after the break, tallying the first 10 points of the second half and coasting from there.
“It can’t be OK to trade baskets,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. “Eventually if you go through a dry spell and they still hit a few, all of the sudden, they open up a lead. We’ve got to understand what you have to hang your hat on to be successful. And we have to hang our hat on defending and getting stops.”
Chris Johnson provides backcourt spark for UCF off bench
UCF’s Chris Johnson (22) brings the ball up court in the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Oct. 21, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina.
Chris Johnson played just three games last year at Stephen F. Austin, and he did not take the floor in UCF’s Nov. 3 opener against Hofstra. But he made the most of his minutes Saturday, sparking a second-half resurgence.
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Johnson, a 6-foot-5 junior combo guard from Houston, had 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting with three 3-pointers and five assists without a turnover. He trimmed the Vandy lead down to nine with 5:48 left with a straightaway long-range jumper.
“He was ready when his number was called this game,” Dawkins said. “That’s the type of team we’re going to have. We have depth, and as we start to learn about our personnel, guys when they get their opportunities need to show what they’re capable of doing.”
On the flipside, fifth-year guard Themus Fulks logged just 19 minutes for the Knights after playing a team-high 33 against Hofstra. The Milwaukee transfer chipped in four points and four assists.
UCF will travel to Vanderbilt during 2026-27 men’s basketball schedule
During his press conference, Byington told reporters that UCF will be on Vanderbilt’s 2026-27 schedule. The Knights will travel to Nashville to complete a home-and-home agreement, though a date and time have not been determined.
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“It’s a great series,” Byington said. “They’re in a great league, and I respect Johnny a lot. I think he put together a really good team. I had to do it last year. Sometimes, early on, it’s so many new pieces that you have to figure it out. But I think they’ve got something to work with in the second half.
“I don’t want to speak for him, but if I was coaching that fight and that team in the second half, I think that’s something to build on.”
UCF fulfills the road portion of a separate SEC home-and-home contract next week when it travels to Texas A&M on Nov. 14. The Knights pulled off a 64-61 upset win in Orlando over the then-No. 15 Aggies last November.
First, the Knights will finish a three-game homestand at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 against Florida A&M.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights basketball takeaways after 105-93 loss to Vanderbilt
