Vanderbilt (1-0, 0-0 SEC) at UT Martin (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
Thursday, Nov. 9
5:30 p.m. CT • Elam Center • Martin, Tenn.
ESPN+ • 94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics app • Live Stats • Game Notes
MARTIN, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team takes to the road for the first time during the 2023-24 season this Thursday, as the Commodores travel to UT Martin for a nonconference matchup. Tipoff against the Skyhawks is set for 5:30 p.m. and will stream live on ESPN+ via the Watch ESPN App.
Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt enters Thursday’s contest a perfect 1-0 after the Dores picked up a 98-51 season-opening victory over Kennesaw State Monday at Memorial Gymnasium. Vandy had a total of five players score double-digit points in the 47-point victory, led by junior Sacha Washington’s 16-point performance.
>> The Dores will be seeking a 2-0 start for the second-straight season. The last time Vanderbilt started 2-0 in back-to-back seasons came during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 campaigns.
>> Vanderbilt is 24-14 against nonconference opponents under head coach Shea Ralph. The Commodores are an even 4-4 in true road games against nonconference foes under coach Ralph.
>> The Commodores and Skyhawks will be meeting for the 15th time on the hardwood. Vanderbilt holds a 12-2 lead all-time over UT Martin. The last matchup took place last season at Memorial Gymnasium, where UTM picked up a 66-54 win.
>> This will be the seventh time that Vanderbilt will travel to UT Martin in program history. The Commodores are 5-1 against the Skyhawks in Martin and have won five-straight road contests against UTM. The last time the two matched up at the Elam Center came back on Nov. 27, 2016, when Vandy picked up a 79-77 victory.
Game Coverage
Thursday’s contest will stream live at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN+ via the Watch ESPN app. Fans can also listen to the game on the Vanderbilt Athletics app or on 94.9 The Fan in the Nashville area.
Offensive Barrage
The Commodores put up the most points in the Shea Ralph era in Monday’s season opener, as Vanderbilt scored 98 points in the 47-point win over Kennesaw State. The 98 points are also the most Vandy has scored in a season-opening game since putting up 102 points against Saint Francis (Pa.) to open the 2004-05 campaign.
Welcome Back
Graduate student Jordyn Cambridge and junior Iyana Moore each had a double-digit scoring performance in their first game back from injury. Each player scored 11 points in the season-opening win against Kennesaw State, which was their first game played for Vanderbilt in 592 days.
Moving Up the Steals List
Jordyn Cambridge collected five steals against Kennesaw State to move past Jackie Cowan (1983-86) for seventh on Vanderbilt’s all-time steals list. Cambridge has 239 career steals entering Thursday’s contest and needs three more to move past Dee Davis (241; 2004-07) for sixth on the list.
Let It Rain
Sophomore Justine Pissott nailed a game-best three 3-point field goals against Kennesaw State en route to a 12-point performance. It matches Pissott’s collegiate-best performance for 3-point field goals made in a game, while it is her second double-digit scoring performance at the college level.
Immediate Impact
A total of six players made their Vanderbilt debut in Monday’s win against Kennesaw State. The group made an immediate impact for the Commodores, as they scored a combined 51 points. Freshman Khamil Pierre led the newcomers with 14 points, while Justine Pissott, a transfer from Tennessee, tallied 12 points. Freshman Madison Greene came off the bench and scored nine points, while freshman Aga Makurat and Duke transfer Jordyn Oliver, a transfer from Duke, each registered eight points in a starting role.
Scouting the Skyhawks
It will be the 2023-24 home opener for UT Martin this Thursday when they host the Commodores at the Elam Center. UTM is coming off an 84-51 loss at Marquette this past Monday. The Skyhawks, who play in the Ohio Valley Conference, were projected to finish fourth in the OVC preseason poll.
Redshirt freshman Kenley McCarn scored 15 points in the season opener, as she went 5-of-14 from the field. Sophomore Anaya Brown also tallied double-digit points at Marquette, with a 14-point performance. Brown also pulled down a game-best seven rebounds.
Last season, the Skyhawks averaged 64.2 points per game, while shooting 41.2% from the field. UT Martin gave up 64.3 points per contest during the 2022-23 season. Teams shot 43.9% against the Skyhawks a year ago.
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