#13 MBB Heads To Florida Sunday After Eight-Day Break

Jan. 25, 2008

GAME AT A GLANCE

Last Game: After back-to-back conference losses, Vanderbilt got the remedy it needed as Alex Gordon and Shan Foster both scored 18 points to spark a 92-76 victory over LSU last Saturday. Recap No. 13 Vanderbilt (17-2, 2-2) at Florida (17-3, 4-1) Sun., Jan. 27 at 12 p.m. CT O’Connell Center (12,000) Gainesville,Fla. TELEVISION: Raycom Play-by-Play: Dave Baker Color: Daymeon Fishback RADIO: 104.5 the Zone Play-by-Play: Joe Fisher; Color: Tim Thompson SIRIUS: Channel 119 SERIES INFORMATION Vanderbilt leads the all-time series, 60-53. Florida leads 36-20 in Gainesville; VU leads 38-12 in Nashville; UF leads 5-2 on neutral floors. LAST MEETING Vanderbilt won 83-70 in Nashville on February 17, 2007. COACHES Kevin Stallings is in his ninth year at Vanderbilt (161-110) and his 15th overall (284-173). Billy Donovan is in his 12th season with Florida (278-106) and 14th year overall (313-126). UF TIDBITS UF is 46-3 at the O’Connell Center over the past three years (12-1 this year)… The Gators have won 25 of their last 29 games against the SEC… Florida grabbed 16 offensive rebounds in Wednesday’s win over South Carolina, the second time in three games they reached that number of offensive boards… Only three teams out of 20 thus far have hit their season average in points per game against the Gators… All five Gator starters are averaging in double-figures scoring in SEC play… In the Gators’ 17 wins they are averaging 84.1 ppg, hitting 52.2 percent from the floor and 42.7 percent from threepoint range… In their three losses, they have averaged 62.3 ppg, hit 40.0 percent from the floor and just 21.8 percent from three-point range. UF PLAYERS TO WATCH Freshman swingman Nick Calathes has been on fire in SEC play, averaging 19.6 ppg, 6.2 apg and 5.2 rpg. He has averaged 22.5 ppg over his last two outings. Sophomore center Marreese Speights has elevated his game and is averaging 21.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and has hit 18-of-24 shots (75 percent) over those two Gator wins.

Live Video (Free): Watch Game | Raycom’s TV Affiliates

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SEC Quotes: Stallings and Donovan Discuss Matchup

VU Notes | UF Notes & Website | Season Stats | SEC Standings

Upcoming Home Games at Memorial Gym
Saturday, Feb. 2, vs. Auburn at 4 p.m. CT
Tuesday, Feb. 12, vs. Kentucky at 8 p.m. CT
Saturday, Feb. 16, vs. Florida at 2 p.m. CT

NASHVILLE – #13/14 Vanderbilt hits the road to take on the Florida Gators after an eight-day break this Sunday at the O’Connell Center. The Commodores, 17-2 overall and 2-2 in league play, will play their next four out of five SEC games on the road. The game will be televised by Raycom Sports, and Joe Fisher and Tim Thompson will have the call on the Vanderbilt/ISP Network.

Vanderbilt defeated LSU, 92-76, on January 19 at Memorial Gym. All five Commodore starters scored in double figures, with senior Shan Foster leading the way with 18 points. Foster, who now has 1,702 points in his career, moved into fourth place on the Vanderbilt all-time scoring list with his performance against the Tigers. Foster passed Drew Maddux (1995-98), Clyde Lee (1964-66) and Mike Rhodes (1978-81) in the game. Foster also made four three-pointers to bring his career total to 307, the most in Vanderbilt history.

Vanderbilt, who averaged 20.3 turnovers a game as a team in three SEC games heading into the LSU game, committed only eight turnovers against LSU, its lowest output of the season. In fact, Vanderbilt forced 17 LSU miscues and converted those turnovers into 24 points. The `Dores won the points off turnover category, 24-8, against the Tigers.

The key run in the game came when Vanderbilt was trailing 24-23 with 9:44 remaining in the first half. The Commodores closed out the half on a 20-9 run and held the Tigers to only made three field goals in the final 9:44 of the half.

The 16-point victory is Vanderbilt’s largest win in conference play since the Commodores defeated Alabama 94-73 last season, and after struggling from three against Tennessee (3-for-21), VU made 9-of-20 shots from beyond the arc (45.0%).

The Commodores also had 21 assists and assisted on 65.6 percent of their made baskets in the game.

Vanderbilt and Florida will meet for the 114th time on Sunday, with the Commodores holding a 60-53 advantage in the all-time series. The Gators lead 36-20 all-time in Gainesville, and VU leads 38-12 in Nashville. Florida holds a 5-2 advantage on neutral floors. The Gators have won seven out of the last eight meetings against Vanderbilt, and the Commodores have not won in Gainesville since 2000-01, when Vanderbilt won 63-61. VU’s only win in the last eight games came last year at Memorial Gym on February 17, when the Commodores came away with an 83-70 win over the #1-ranked Gators, a victory that ended a 17-game UF winning streak.

Florida enters the game with a 17-3 overall record and a 4-1 mark in SEC play. The Gators scored a 73-71 victory at South Carolina on January 23, their second conference road win of the year, in their last time out.

Freshman Nick Calathes leads the Gators in scoring at 16.0 points per game, and leads the league in assists with 117 helpers on the year. Sophomore post player Marreese Speights also averages double digits at 14.2 points per game, and leads the team in rebounding with 7.9 rebounds per contest. In SEC play, all five Gator starters average double digits.

Gator head coach Billy Donovan is in his his 12th season with Florida (278-106) and 14th year overall (313-126).

Vanderbilt is led by senior wing Shan Foster, who leads the Southeastern Conference in scoring at 20.1 points per game. Freshman A.J. Ogilvy is fifth in the SEC in scoring, averaging 18.5 points per contest. Sophomore point guard Jermaine Beal has also played well as of late, dishing out five or more assists in his last four games. Beal currently has 93 assists on the season, the ninth-best single season for a sophomore in the history of the program. All-time Vanderbilt assist leader Atiba Prater holds the single season record for a sophomore with 155 in 1998. Beal currently ranks 1st in assist-to-turnover ratio in all games (3.10) and SEC games only (8.33), and ranks first in assists per game in SEC games only at 6.25 per game. Against LSU, he had nine assists and no turnovers in the Commodores’ latest win.

Tip off is set for 12 pm CST. The following outlets (scroll to bottom of page) will carry Sunday’s game in the Southeast, and the rest of the nation may purchase the game as a part of ESPN’s Full Court package.

FLORIDA’S PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

RAYCOM SPORTS BROADCAST AFFILIATES:
MARKET/OUTLET
Albany, GA – WALB
Albany, NY – WNYA
Alexandria, LA – KWCE
Atlanta, GA – WUPA
Augusta, GA – WRDW-DT
Baton Rouge, LA – WAFB
Beaumont, TX – KUMY
Biloxi, MS – WXXV
Birmingham, AL – WTTO
Bowling Green, KY – WBKO
Charleston, SC – WMMP
Charleston, WV – WSAZ
Chattanooga, TN – WFLI
Columbia, MO – KZOU
Columbia, SC – WIS
Columbus, GA – WRBL
Columbus/Tupelo, MS – WCBI
Dayton, OH – WBDT
Dothan, AL – WDFX
Evansville, IN – WTVW
Ft. Myers/Naples, FL – WXCW
Ft. Smith, AR – KHBS
Gainesville, FL – WOGX
Greenwood/Greenville, MS – WABG
Huntsville, AL – WZDX
Jackson, MS – WXMS
Jackson, TN – WJKT
Jacksonville, FL – WJXT
Joplin, MO – KJPX
Knoxville, TN – WVLT
Lafayette, LA – KLAF
Lexington, KY – WKYT
Little Rock, AR – KATV
Los Angeles, CA – KJLA
Louisville, KY- WAVE
Macon, GA – WGXA
Memphis, TN – WLMT
Meridian, MS – WMDN
Miami, FL – WSFL
Mobile/Pensacola, AL/FL – WJTC
Monroe, LA – KEJB
Montgomery, AL – WSFA
Myrtle Beach/Florence, SC – WIS
Nashville, TN – WUXP
New Orleans, LA – WUPL
Orlando, FL – WOFL
Paducah, KY – WPSD
Panama City, FL – WPGX
Shreveport, LA – KMSS
Springfield, MO – KCZ
Tallahassee, FL – WTWC
Tampa, FL – WTTA
Tri-Cities, TN,VA – WCYB-DT
West Palm Beach, FL – WTCN