Feb. 21, 2015
Teams: Missouri (14-12, 4-9) at Vanderbilt (14-12, 5-8)
Day, Date: Sunday, Feb. 22
Tip-off time: 1 p.m. (CT)
Site: Memorial Gym (Nashville, Tenn.)
Radio: 560 AM & 95.9 FM
TV: SEC Network
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased by calling 615-322-GOLD, visiting the McGugin Center ticket office or logging on to vucommodores.com.
It’s not yet March, but the madness has essentially already started for the Vanderbilt women. With their streak of 15 straight NCAA appearances hanging in the balance during the next two weeks, the Commodores (14-12, 5-8) enter Sunday’s home game against Missouri (14-12, 4-9) with a heightened sense of urgency. The contest will not only have a big impact on the SEC standings, but could also carry potential postseason ramifications for the Commodores and Tigers, who each need strong finishes to the regular season to bolster their resumès. Vanderbilt — which earned an overtime win over Florida on Thursday night — currently sits in a four-way tie for seventh place in the SEC, but the Commodores hold only a one-game lead over Missouri. The Tigers, who are tied with Florida in 11th place, have been idle since last Sunday’s win over Ole Miss. Vanderbilt and Missouri are both trying to avoid having to play in the SEC tournament’s play-in round, which features the bottom four teams in the conference. Here’s a look at a few stroylines surrounding Sunday’s game at Memorial Gym.
l SALUTING OUR SUPPORTERS: Sunday’s game is Fan Appreciation Day at Memorial Gym, and the first 2, 500 fans through the doors will receive a Vanderbilt tote bag. Also, the first 500 fans who spend $5 or more at the concession stand will receive a free box of popcorn. Fans can also register in the Southeast and North lobbies to win prizes, including a basketball autographed by head coach Melanie Balcomb, prize packs, a Vanderbilt blanket, and gift cards from Visa, Slider House and Sam’s Sports Bar and Grill. Prior to the game, fans can visit the Kids Zone, which features inflatables, face painting, snow cones and more. (Kids Zone opens at 11:30 a.m.) After the game, the Vanderbilt players will sign autographs on the gym floor.
l DAHLMAN HEATING UP: As they look to put together a late-season surge, the Commodores need someone to emerge as the go-to player — and Rebekah Dahlman appears to have accepted the role. The redshirt freshman has scored in double figures in each of the Commodores past three games, and is averaging 17.0 points per games in that stretch. She scored a team-high 18 points in Thursday’s win at Florida, hitting a season-high five 3-pointers while playing all 45 minutes of the overtime contest. Dahlman is shooting 54.8 percent from the floor in the past three games, and has led the team in scoring each time. She has been especially effective from long range, going 9-of-14 — a red-hot 64.2 percent — from behind the arc in the three games. The hot shooting has enabled Dahlman to break out of the cold spell she endured during the previous five games, when she went just 13-of-36 (36.1 percent) from the floor, including 1-of-13 (7.1 percent) from 3-point range. Her emergence in recent games is a crucial development for the young Commodores, who have no seniors on the roster. Last season, Vanderbilt had two unquestioned leaders — seniors Christina Foggie and Jasmine Lister — who combined for 45.7 percent of the team’s scoring and accounted for 80.1 percent of the team’s 3-pointers. (Foggie and Lister scored 1,015 of VU’s 2,218 total points, and produced 133 of Vanderbilt’s 166 three-pointers). Through 26 games this season, a total of nine players — among the 13 on the roster — have either led the team in scoring or tied for game-high honors. Dahlman has done so eight times.
l LONG-RANGE SUCCESS: Breaking away from a recent pattern, the Commodores connected for a season-high eight 3-pointers during Thursday’s overtime victory against Florida. Coming into the night, Vanderbilt was averaging only 3.0 three-pointers per game, but the Commodores more than doubled that number in the first half alone, when they went 7-of-10 from behind the arc. Vanderbilt finished 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) from 3-point range for the game, marking only the fourth time in the past 11 games that VU has attempted 10 or more 3-pointers. In last Sunday’s road loss to South Carolina, the Commodores finished just 2-of-4 from behind the arc. None of the Commodores’ 3-point attempts against SC came in the first half, representing the third time this season that Vanderbilt had played an entire half without attempting a 3-pointer. (Prior to this season, it hadn’t happened since Feb. 3, 2011).
l SCOUTING MISSOURI: Missouri’s top player is sophomore Jordan Frericks, who is averaging a team-high 13.2 points per game and also leads the team — and ranks second in the SEC — in rebounding at 9.8 per game. … Fueled by the SEC’s most prolific outside shooter — senior guard Morgan Eye — the Tigers are averaging 7.4 three-pointers per game, which leads the conference by a wide margin. (Mississippi State ranks second at 5.9 per game). Eye has compiled an SEC-leading 68 three-pointers, and she ranks second in the conference in 3-point percentage (35.6). Missouri has attempted an SEC-leading 192 shots from 3-point range for the season, and the Tigers rank sixth in 3-point percentage (32.1). … Missouri ranks ninth in the league in scoring at 63.7 points per game, eighth in field goal percentage (40.1 percent) and 11th in free-throw shooting (64.4 percent). … Defensively, the Tigers lead the conference in field-goal defense, limiting opponents to 34.3 percent, but they rank ninth in the SEC in points allowed (59.6 per game). … Missouri ranks second in the SEC in rebounding (42.8 rpg), and fifth in rebounding margin (+4.6). … The Tigers are 10th in blocked shots (3.4 per game) and last in the SEC in steals (6.6 per game). …
l SIZING UP THE SERIES: Sunday’s game marks just the fourth all-time meeting between Vanderbilt and Missouri, with the Commodores owning a 2-1 lead in the series. … The teams had never matched up before the Tigers joined the SEC in 2012. … Missouri won the most recent contest, downing the Commodores 69-64 last season on Jan. 30 in Columbia (More on that game below). … Vanderbilt and Missouri met twice during the 2012-13 season, with the Commodores winning 62-46 in Nashville during the regular season and then posting a 53-40 victory at the SEC Tournament in Duluth, Ga.
l UPDATE ON THE TIGERS: The Tigers, who have been idle since last Sunday’s 72-58 home win over Ole Miss, enter Sunday’s game tied with Florida for 11th place in the conference, but are just one game behind the four teams that are tied for seventh. … Missouri has posted a respectable 3-4 record in SEC play since Jan. 29 after going 1-5 prior to that point. … The Tigers’ four SEC wins have included home victories against Florida, Auburn and Ole Miss, along with a road victory at Florida. … Missouri opened the season with 10 wins in its first 12 games, but the Tigers went 2-9 from Dec. 30 through Feb. 5. … Missouri is 2-6 in true road games this season, and 1-1 at neutral sites.
l LOOKING BACK: When Vanderbilt and Missouri met last season in Columbia on Jan. 30, the Commodores were limited to a season-high 22.2 percent shooting from the floor in a 59-54 loss to the Tigers. Down by 16 early in the second half, the Commodores charged back to cut it to 55-54 after a three-point play by Kylee Smith with 52 seconds left. Vanderbilt then had the ball with a chance to take the lead, but a traveling call gave the ball back to the Tigers. Missouri hit four straight free throws in the final 16 seconds to win it. Former Vanderbilt star Jasmine reached a milestone in the game, becoming VU’s all-time leader in minutes played. (Lister played all 40 minutes of the game, bringing her career total to 4,260 and enabling her to surpass former Vanderbilt record holder Zuzi Klimesova). Christina Foggie scored a team-high 10 points for Vanderbilt, but was 1-of-9 from the floor, including 0-for-6 from 3-point range. No other Vanderbilt player reached double figures, and the Commodores finished 2-of-16 from long range. Vanderbilt was 14-of-63 from the floor for the game. Missouri’s Bri Kulas led all scorers with15 points. The Commodores endured a frustrating first half — making just 7-of-30 shots (23.3 percent) — and went to the locker room trailing 33-20. Vanderbilt went the final 6:48 of the half without a field goal.
l MOST RECENT GAME: VU DOWNS FLORIDA IN OVERTIME: Rebekah Dahlman scored a team-high points and finished 5-of-8 from 3-point range as the Commodores held off Florida, 76-75, in overtime on Thursday night in Gainesville. Vanderbilt’s Marqu’es Webb scored the go-ahead basket with just over a minute to play in overtime — the final points of the game — after the teams had traded the lead during the extra session. Florida had the ball at the end of regulation, but a potential game-winning shot rolled off the rim at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime, tied at 69-69. Vanderbilt then outscored Florida 7-6 in the extra five minutes. Rebekah Dahlman finished with 18 points for the Commodores (14-12, 5-8), who saw a 12-point second-half lead slip away but managed to regain their composure in overtime and fight off the Gators (12-14, 4-9). Morgan Batey had 17 points and a team-high five rebounds to help Vanderbilt atone for a 67-58 loss to Florida on Feb. 1 in Nashville. Freshman Rachel Bell added 15 points for the Commodores, who overcame a 10-of-20 performance at the foul line. Jasmine Jenkins finished with seven points and set new career highs with seven assists, four steals and 42 minutes of playing time. Florida’s Ronni Williams had a team-high 17 points, and January Miller added 15. Vanderbilt was 7-of-10 from 3-point range in the first half, but just 1-of-5 in the second half. The Commodores did not attempt a 3-pointer in overtime, and finished with a season-high eight 3-pointers for the game.
l IN THE UPPER HALF: As the SEC teams continue to battle for seeding for the upcoming SEC Tournament, the Commodores will be looking to add to their tradition of high finishes. Although Vanderbilt has never won an SEC regular-season title, the Commodores have finished sixth place or higher in 26 of the past 33 years, and has never finished lower than tied for eighth. Vanderbilt enters Sunday’s game in a four-way tie for seventh place, and is currently positioned as the No. 7 seed for the SEC tournament under the SEC tie-breaking formula. … The Commodores have finished second in the conference five times (2009, 2002, 1995, 1994 and 1993) and have also earned five third-place finishes (2011, 2008, 2007, 2005 and 1996) and six fourth-place finishes (2004, 2001, 1998, 1992, 1989 and 1983). … Vanderbilt carried a No. 8 seed into last year’s tournament after finishing in seventh place in 2013 and 2012.
l TRYING TO MAKE A PUSH: Thursday’s road win over Florida was a positive start to a potentially profitable three-game stretch in which the Commodores are facing teams with a combined SEC record of 8-31 — Florida (4-9), Missouri (4-9) and Auburn (0-13). The games against Missouri and Florida are both at Memorial Gym. The Commodores will then finish the regular season with a trip to Knoxville on March 1 to face the No. 6/6 Lady Vols. Vanderbilt has an 0-29 all-time record in Knoxville.
l ‘DOZEN’ IT FEEL GREAT? With March Madness around the corner, it’s certainly worth noting that ead coach Melanie Balcomb has led the Commodores to the NCAA Tournament in each of her 12 seasons since arriving at Vanderbilt. She is one of only six coaches to have done so each year during that span. The others are: Geno Auriemma (Connecticut), Tara VanDerveer (Stanford), Joanne P. McCallie (Mich. State/Duke), Muffet McGraw (Notre Dame) and Andy Landers (Georgia). Overall, the Commodores have made the NCAA tournament in each of the past 15 seasons and 25 of the past 26. They have made 26 total appearances, which ranks third among the SEC teams behind only Tennessee and Georgia.
l THREE IN DOUBLE-DIGITS: In Thursday’s overtime win against Florida, the Commodores had three double-digit scorers — Rebekah Dahlman (18 points), Morgan Batey (17) and Rachel Bell (15) — which marked the fifth consecutive contest in which three Vanderbilt players have scored 10 points or more. Prior to the recent five-game stretch, the Commodores had two players or fewer reach double figures in seven of their first eight SEC games. For the season, Vanderbilt is just 4-8 when two or fewer reach the mark.
l WEBB AND FLOW: When she’s healthy, Marqu’es Webb has proven that she can be one of the SEC’s most effective players. In the four games this season in which she has logged 25 minutes or more of playing time, Webb is averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 60.7 percent (17-of-28) from the floor. She logged 29 minutes in Sunday’s loss to South Carolina, and finished with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting. In the first meeting against Florida earlier this month, the sophomore post player scored a season-high 15 points and pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds while logging 28 minutes of playing time in Vanderbilt’s 67-58 loss. Webb missed four games with an injury in December, and has seen her playing time limited to 15 minutes or less in seven other games.
l INJURY REPORT: Redshirt sophomore Kendall Shaw and true freshmen Christa Reed and Khaléann Caron-Goudreau have each been sidelined by injuries over the past month, which continues a season-long theme for the Commodores. Only twice in the first 25 games has head coach Melanie Balcomb had the luxury of having all 13 of her players available for action (the two games were against Tennessee and LSU). Overall, a total of seven Vanderbilt players — more than half the roster — have missed time due to injuries, illness or other reasons. Khaléann Caron-Goudreau sat out the first 12 games while recovering from an ankle injury and has missed the past 11 games while dealing with a back injury. Reed and Shaw have both been sidelined the past 10 games with ankle injuries. Others who have missed multiple games include junior Heather Bowe (who was unavailable for the first eight games while serving a suspension for violation of academic policy), sophomore Marqu’es Webb (who missed four games in December with a knee injury) and Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau (who missed three games in December after sustaining a concussion in practice and then sat out the game against Florida due to illness). Freshman Rachel Bell and redshirt sophomore Kristen Gaffney have missed one game each with illness.
l STARTING TO SETTLE IN: The Vanderbilt starting lineup was in flux for the first half of the season — with eight different combinations used in the first 14 games — but the changes have slowed down over the past few weeks, and head coach Melanie Balcomb has used only two combinations for the past 12 games. Morgan Batey, Heather Bowe, Rebekah Dahlman, Jasmine Jenkins and Marqu’es Webb have started the past five games. Before that, Dahlman, Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau, Jenkins, Bowe and Batey had formed the starting five for seven straight games, which represented the longest stretch of the season in which the same group was used. All told, 10 of the 13 players on the Vanderbilt roster have seen their names in the starting lineup in various games this season. Morgan Batey is the lone Commodore to start all 25 games. Here’s a quick look at who’s been used in starting lineup: Batey (25 games), Rebekah Dahlman (23), Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau (16), Jasmine Jenkins (16) Heather Bowe (15), Marqu’es Webb (11), Paris Kea (6), Kristen Gaffney (5), Rachel Bell (4) and Christa Reed (4).
l WORKING FOR THE SWAT TEAM: It’s been a long time since Vanderbilt had a shot-blocking specialist, but freshman Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau is beginning to earn that label. The 6-3 post player from Canada has a team-high 25 blocked shots for the season. In Vanderbilt’s win over Arkansas on Jan. 22, she finished with five blocked shots, becoming the first Vanderbilt player to block five or more shots in a game game since Liz Sherwood had six against LSU on Jan. 10, 2008. The Commodores have 63 blocked shots for the season for an average of 2.4 per game. That’s a huge jump from last season, when the Commodores ranked last in the country (343rd) with a total of just 24 (an average of 0.8 per game) for the year. Freshman guard Paris Kea, who is among the shortest players Vanderbilt roster at 5-9, ranks second on the team with 10.
