Siakam pitches Commodores to victory from bench

James Siakam brought energy off the bench. Riley LaChance brought scoring from every spot on the court. Damian Jones brought post moves that came straight out of a 1994 Houston Rockets mix tape.

Together, they propelled Vanderbilt to their biggest win of the season on Saturday night.

LaChance had a career high 26 points to lead Vanderbilt to a 81-71 win over Purdue at Memorial Gym. Siakam had 12 on just five shots and Jones added 15 in the victory. Raphael Davis had 15 points to lead the Boilermakes in their loss.

Vanderbilt's hot shooting carried them through the first half. Siakam's jumpers, Jones's play at the rim, and LaChance's ability to score from anywhere in the half court helped the 'Dores shoot 63 percent from the field in the opening frame. Vandy led 43-32 at the half despite getting out-rebounded by the Boilermakers.

They kept that momentum alive in the second half, using LaChance's shooting to open up a 22-point lead with 12 minutes to play. However, Purdue wouldn't go down without a fight. An 18-7 run cut Vandy's lead to 11 points with 6:35 to play, but the hot-shooting freshman responded with a dagger three from 26 feet out to deflate the Boilermakers' momentum and guide the 'Dores to the win.

The win improved Vanderbilt to 6-2 on the season. They'll return to action on Tuesday when they host Western Carolina. Purdue fell to 8-3 by virtue of their defeat.