NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Duke Miles scored 20 points, Tyler Nickel and Tyler Tanner each had 16 and No. 24 Vanderbilt beat VCU 89-74 on Thursday in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals.
Vanderbilt has started a season 7-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 team began 16-0.
Miles, who scored 28 points in a tournament opener against Western Kentucky, went 4 of 5 from the field and 10 of 11 at the free-throw line. Nickel made four of Vanderbilt's 11 3-pointers and Tanner had a team-high five assists.
Jalen Washington added 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists for Vanderbilt.
Nyk Lewis led VCU (4-3) with 16 points. Jadrian Tracey added 15 points and Lazar Djokovic had 12.
Vanderbilt scored 20 of the opening 24 points of the game, but VCU fought back to get within 43-41 at halftime after closing on an 18-6 run. The Rams made just 2 of their first 14 shots.
Nickel sank a 3-pointer with 11:19 left in the second half to begin a 7-0 run and made a block at the other end that led to two free throws by AK Okereke for a 65-54 lead.
Washington made a block that led to Tanner's driving layup for a 76-65 advantage and Vanderbilt led by double figures the rest of the way. Washington added a dunk on Vanderbilt's next possession during an 11-0 run that ended in an 85-65 lead.
VCU went more than four minutes without scoring during the run. The Rams finished 20 of 56 from the field (36%), including 7 of 29 from distance.
Vanderbilt: Plays the winner of the other semifinal between Virginia Tech and Saint Mary's on Friday.
VCU: Faces the loser in the third-place game on Friday.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
