CHARLESTON, S.C. — Wyoming transfer Cam Manyawu scored 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting with 11 rebounds and Bennett Stirtz had 16 points and 11 assists to help Drake beat Vanderbilt 81-70 on Sunday night to win the Charleston Classic.
Mitch Mascari made 4 of 6 from the field, 3 of 5 from 3-point range and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 17 points for Drake (6-0) and Daniel Abreu scored 15.
First-year coach Ben McCollum took over at Drake in April after Darian DeVries took the same job at West Virginia. McCollum brought Stirtz from Division-II Northwest Missouri State, where the 43-year-old coach had won at least 24 and qualified for the D-II NCAA Tournament in each of the past 11 seasons.
Stirtz scored in the lane to give the Bulldogs the lead for good and spark an 18-8 spurt that made it 55-45 with 12 minutes to play. MJ Collins made two free throws and then hit a 3 to cut the deficit to five points about a minute later but Drake scored 12 of the next 15 points and the Commodores — who went 5-plus minutes without a made field goal — never again threatened.
Vanderbilt (6-1) had won its first six games of a season for the first time since the Commodores won 16 in a row to open the 2007-08 campaign.
Jason Edwards led Vanderbilt with 26 points on 7-of-13 shooting and made 10 of 11 from the free-throw line. Collins, A.J. Hoggard and Chris Manon added nine points apiece.
