Siakam's Vanderbilt feels 'second wind' to season

Vanderbilt basketball's first SEC road win at Alabama on Saturday could have been the best indicator that the young Commodores have a second wind to their season.

Coach Kevin Stallings said his team was tired after an overtime loss to Tennessee three days earlier, and two players, Shelton Mitchell and Shelby Moats, were out with concussions. But the Commodores still pulled out the tough victory.

Stallings said "we've got plenty of gas left in the tank" as Vanderbilt (14-11, 4-8 SEC) heads to Florida (12-13, 5-7) for a game Wednesday (6 p.m./SEC Network).

"When we got to February, I think we started showing signs of life," said Stallings, whose Commodores have won three of four games after losing seven straight. "Obviously, January wasn't particularly good for us. So I feel like we've gotten our second wind, but it's hard to keep it because we've had some guys out and guys are having to play more minutes."

Mitchell, a freshman point guard, and Moats, a senior forward, did not travel with the team to Florida. It will be Mitchell's fourth straight missed game.

Last season, the undermanned Commodores limped down the stretch, losing six of their last seven games, including the SEC Tournament. But historically, Stallings' teams have been strong to end the regular season. In the 10 seasons from 2003-04 through 2012-13, Vanderbilt never posted a losing record in games played after Feb. 15, going 54-38 overall during that period.

Vanderbilt beat Florida 67-61 on Feb. 3 to snap the aforementioned seven-game losing streak this season. The Gators, who started the season ranked No. 7, are having a disappointing year. They have dropped seven of nine games overall and four straight, beginning with the loss to Vanderbilt.

"I think we're still trying to get our first wind right now," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "But I think for most teams, it's a long year. But this is the time of the year when you'd like to see your team pull it in the right direction."

Florida's top scorer, Michael Frazier (13.2 ppg), will miss the game with an ankle injury.

Early departure: Vanderbilt moved up its charter flight departure time from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, accounting for any possible weather delays and to get ahead of darkness at takeoff time.

Battle on boards: Vanderbilt outrebounded Florida 42-26 in their previous meeting, posting the largest losing margin on the boards for the Gators this season.

James Siakam (11 rebounds) and Damian Jones (seven) led the way, but Donovan said Vanderbilt's team-wide work on the glass was key in that game and could be in the second matchup, too.

"It was just all the way around," Donovan said. "Siakam was dominant and all over the glass … and the same thing could be said for Jones. But they've really got good productivity from everyone on the glass. Some of the perimeter people did a good job."

On the line: Much of Vanderbilt's recent turnaround has come from getting to the foul line. The Commodores have shot 136 free throws in the past four games (34 per game) compared to 138 foul shots in the previous eight games (17.3 per game). They have made 96 of 136 during that four-game stretch (70.6 percent).

During those past four games, they also have more than doubled their opponents' attempts (59) and makes (45) at the line.