Tanner’s Heroics Not Enough as Commodores Fall Short, Finish 27–9 After March Exit

Photo / Vanderbilt Athletics

OKLAHOMA CITY — Vanderbilt’s remarkable 2025–26 season came to a heart-stopping close Saturday night at the Paycom Center, where the Commodores fell to No. 4 seed Nebraska, 74–72, in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32.

Vanderbilt finished 27–9, its deepest postseason run since 2012, after a game that swung wildly and ended with Tyler Tanner’s desperation heave from half‑court rattling off the rim as time expired. Tanner, a driving force all year for the Commodores, poured in a game‑high 27 points and added four assists and four steals in a performance that kept Vanderbilt within striking distance until the final second.

Nebraska, buoyed by a raucous Cornhuskers crowd that opened the night with a 14–4 burst, held a seven‑point halftime advantage after an early Vanderbilt sluggishness. The Commodores rallied in the second half, finally taking a brief lead with 8:26 left when AK Okereke buried a 3‑pointer, and the two teams traded momentum for the final stretch. With 58 seconds to play, Tanner drove into the lane and converted a layup to put Vanderbilt up two, but Nebraska answered and Braden Frager ultimately converted the game‑winning layup with 2.1 seconds remaining.

Tyler Nickel supplied a second‑half spark for Vanderbilt, hitting four of his five 3‑point attempts and finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds. Duke Miles contributed nine points and six assists, while Okereke added nine points and seven rebounds. Devin McGlockton chipped in with eight rebounds and three points as the Commodores fought through Nebraska’s pressure and the hostile environment.

For the Cornhuskers, Frager and Pryce Sandfort led the way with 15 points apiece. Rienk Mast added 13 and Berke Buyuktuncel scored 12, helping Nebraska reach the Sweet 16 — the program’s first appearance at that stage in school history. The win improved Nebraska to a school‑record 28–6 and extended a postseason run that has now seen the Huskers win six straight tournament games dating back to last year’s College Basketball Crown.

In the locker room after the loss, Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington struck a reflective tone, praising his players’ growth and the season’s accomplishments even as he acknowledged the sting of a one‑possession defeat. “We were a play away, an inch away, from being in the Sweet 16,” Byington said. “It’s going to take a while for us to get over it, but I think it’s going to be a point that we’re going to look back and think of the unbelievable journey this season has been — how great these guys were to coach, how great these guys were for Vanderbilt, the memories they made along the way.”

The Commodores’ season — built on Tanner’s scoring and steady contributions from veterans like Nickel and Okereke — represents a clear upward trajectory for the program. To sustain this level of success, Vanderbilt will need to retain core contributors where possible, continue recruiting high‑character scorers and defenders who fit the team’s identity, and deepen roster depth so the team can withstand hostile environments and late‑game swings. Developing younger players in high‑pressure minutes and maintaining continuity in coaching and culture will be essential if Vanderbilt hopes to return to March and push beyond the Round of 32.

This campaign gave Commodores fans plenty to celebrate — and a foundation on which to build. While the bitter taste of Saturday’s finish will linger, the progress on the court has made clear that Vanderbilt basketball’s best days may still lie ahead.