Vanderbilt 80, Nicholls State 65: Sophomore point guard Kedren Johnson set career highs with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists as the host Commodores continued their domination of the Colonels.

Freshman Kevin Bright and Kyle Fuller added 15 points each for Vanderbilt (1-0), which won its sixth consecutive season opener and improved to 3-0 all-time against Nicholls State (0-1).

Much is expected of Johnson after the Commodores lost three starters to the NBA draft this offseason. For one game, he put the team on his back with 15 second-half points to help turn a 28-22 halftime advantage into a 20-point lead midway through the second half.

After shooting just 33.3 percent from the floor over the first 20 minutes, the Commodores hit their first eight shots after the break to quickly establish a 49-31 lead. The Colonels could get no closer than 14 points the rest of the way.

Fred Hunter, playing in his first game since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during the 2010-11 season, finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for Nicholls State.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Johnson finished with double-digit points just once last season, a 12-point effort against Bucknell. …Vanderbilt drained 12 3-pointers in this game, extending its streak of hitting at least one to 833 games – the second-longest such streak in the nation. … The Colonels have lost their last four season openers.