"Sweet Caroline," said McKillop, referencing the song that is played during the media timeout that coincides with the first dead ball under the eight-minute mark in the second half.
McKillop was only kidding, but his Wildcats did manage to trim Vanderbilt's lead to three after that before falling 87-83 in front of 4,475 fans at Belk Arena.
"Without doubt, our guys dug deep," said McKillop, whose team dropped to 6-2. "Our guys did not hang their heads. They kept fighting. And that's a sign of maturity, that's a sign of resiliency, that's a sign that this team is growing up."
But Vanderbilt (6-3), a team that returned all its starters from last year's NCAA Tournament team, was ultimately too much, behind the career-high scoring effort of Jeffery Taylor (30 points), the 22 points of John Jenkins and an unexpected boost off the bench from Festus Ezeli, a starter who has been sidelined for six weeks. Ezeli, who had missed time due to a suspension and an injury, chipped in with 15 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes.
"They have a combination of so many factors," said McKillop. "They're not just big and athletic. They have great I.Q. They are very, very well-coached and disciplined, and they're highly skilled."
Davidson struggled shooting the basketball from long range. The Wildcats, a 31.3 percent three-point shooting team entering the game, hit just one of their first 17 threes before converting 4-of-5 in the final 5:52 and finishing 5-of-22.
De'Mon Brooks led Davidson with 24 points and nine rebounds. The two free throws he made with 2:13 remaining followed an offensive rebound of his own shot and cut Vanderbilt's lead to single digits for the first time since the 13:32 mark of the second half. He followed that with a three from the top of the key that energized the crowd with 1:49 left and forced a Vanderbilt timeout.
McKillop said Brooks was sensational.
"I was just letting the game come to me," said Brooks, a sophomore from Huntersville. "I was just trying to help my teammates, just try to come back and help my team win. I was just taking what the defense gave me."
Jake Cohen (18 points), JP Kuhlman (13) and Chris Czerzpowicz (10) also scored in double figures.
Vanderbilt beat Davidson 80-52 last January, starting a stretch in which the Wildcats lost seven of eight games. But as his team prepares for a rivalry road game at Charlotte Saturday, McKillop said his team has improved significantly.
"Incredibly proud of our guys and the effort they put forth tonight," he said.
