(–/RV) Vanderbilt (17-3, 4-2 SEC) at No. 1/1 South Carolina (18-0, 6-0 SEC)
Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024 • 2 p.m. CT
Colonial Life Arena • Columbia, S.C. • SEC Network
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Notes
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team returns to action this Sunday, as the Commodores travel to the Palmetto State to take on No. 1-ranked South Carolina. Tipoff against the Gamecocks is set for 2 p.m. CT and will air live on SEC Network.
Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt comes into Sunday’s contest holding a 17-3 overall record and a 4-2 mark in SEC play. It’s been nearly a full week since the Commodores last competed, as Vandy dropped a 73-64 decision at Tennessee back on Jan. 21. Junior Iyana Moore scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field. Graduate student Jordyn Cambridge added 12 points in the loss to the Lady Vols.
>> The Commodores’ 4-2 SEC record ties for the second-best start in SEC play through the first six league games in program history. This season marks the 11th time that Vanderbilt has held a 4-2 record through five SEC games, with the most recent coming during the 2013-14 campaign.
>> At 17-3 this season, the Dores are tied for the second-best start in program history through the first 20 games. This is the fifth time in program history that Vanderbilt has held a 17-3 record, with the most recent coming during the 2006-07 season. Only Vanderbilt’s 1992-93 Final Four team has had a better start to a season through the first 20 games, as that Commodore squad held a 19-1 mark.
>> Sunday’s matchup between the Commodores and the Gamecocks will be the 43rd meeting all-time between the two. The schools have split the previous 42 matchups, as the series is tied up at 21-21. South Carolina has won 15-straight games against Vanderbilt.
>> Vandy is 8-12 all-time in Columbia against the Gamecocks. Vanderbilt’s last win at South Carolina came back on Feb. 27, 2011, when the Commodores picked up a 74-60 overtime victory.
Game Coverage
Sunday’s contest will air live at 2 p.m. CT on SEC Network. Fans can listen to the game on the Vanderbilt Commodores app or on 94.9 The Fan in the Nashville area.
Picking Up Top 25 Votes
Vanderbilt received votes in this week’s USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Commodores picked up three votes total.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt holds a NET ranking of 52 coming into Sunday’s game. The Commodores have the seventh-best NET ranking in the SEC entering conference play. The NET is an evaluation tool used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to determine seeding and at-large bids.
Collecting the Wins
Vanderbilt’s 17 wins this season are tied for the third-most in the nation. The Commodores are one of nine NCAA Division I schools that have won 17 games this season. Vandy’s 85.0 percent winning percentage is currently tied for the 22nd-best winning percentage in NCAA Division I.
Moore Production in SEC Play
Junior Iyana Moore’s 20.3 points per game in SEC play is third-best in the conference. Moore has two of the top four scoring performances in an SEC game this season. She scored a career-high 37 points at Kentucky on Jan. 11, which is the most points scored in an SEC game this season. Her 29-point effort at Mississippi State is the fourth-most points scored in an SEC game this year. The guard has scored double-digit points in seven of her last eight games.
Picking Their Pockets
Vanderbilt is second in the SEC in steals per game at 11.4. Vandy’s 11.4 steals per game average is also 22nd-best nationally. Graduate student Jordyn Cambridge paces the SEC in steals with 80. Cambridge’s 80 total steals are second-most in NCAA Division I this season.
100 Career Blocks
Junior Sacha Washington recently recorded her 100th career block. Washington is 12 blocks away from breaking into the top 10 on Vanderbilt’s all-time blocks list. Her 36 blocks are the seventh-most in the SEC and ranks 34th nationally.
Scouting the Gamecocks
South Carolina comes into Sunday’s contest at a perfect 18-0 overall and 6-0 in SEC games. The Gamecocks are the only undefeated team left in the nation and are ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press poll and USA Today/WBCA Coaches poll. USC also comes in at No. 1 in the NET rankings.
The Gamecocks feature five double-digit scorers, while two other players average between 8.5 and 9.5 points per game. Senior Kamilla Cardoso paces South Carolina in both scoring and rebounding, as the 6-7 center is averaging 13.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Cardoso leads the SEC in field goal percentage, as she is shooting 60 percent from the floor.
South Carolina is averaging 89.9 points per game, which is the second-highest scoring average in the SEC this season. The Gamecocks are shooting 52.3 percent from the floor as a team, while USC is connecting on 43.5 percent of its shots from behind the arc. Defensively, South Carolina is giving up 53.1 points per game. Teams are shooting 30.2 percent from the floor against USC, while the opposition holds a 26.2 percent success rate on 3-pointers.
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