Dec. 9, 2015
Teams: Vanderbilt (7-2) vs. Troy (3-2)
Day, Date: Thursday, Dec. 10
Tip-off time: 7 p.m.
Site: Memorial Gym (Nashville, Tenn.)
Radio: 560 AM / 95.9 FM
Viewing: SEC Network-Plus (online)
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased by calling 615-322-GOLD, visiting the McGugin Center ticket office or logging on to vucommodores.com.
Game Notes: PDFs at bottom of page
The Vanderbilt women recently reached a milestone. Up next, they’ll attempt to help their coach reach one, too. After notching the 800th win in the program’s history — and extending their current winning streak to six — by beating ETSU last Saturday, the Commodores enter Thursday’s home game against Troy with hopes of giving head coach Melanie Balcomb her 300th victory at Vanderbilt. Balcomb is in her 14th season with the Commodores and is the all-time wins leader in Vanderbilt WBB history. Her team has played outstanding defense this season — ranking No. 13 in the nation in points allowed per game (51.4) — and the Commodores will need to continue that trend Thursday against a Troy team that leads the country in scoring at 97 points per game and has scored 100 points in three games. Here’s a closer look at Thursday’s contest:
l The skinny on the Commodores: With Christmas just around the corner, the Commodores have a good reason to be merry. They have ripped off six straight wins — five of which have come by double figures — and they will carry a 6-0 home record into Thursday’s game after sailing past in-state rival ETSU, 65-39, in their most recent game on Saturday at Memorial Gym. … Rachel Bell, who has reached double figures in the past three games, leads the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game. … Marqu’es Webb and Rayte’a Long are tied for the team lead in rebounding at 4.3 per game, and Minta Spears leads the team in assists (5.0 per game) and minutes played (33.4 per game).
l Bell setting the tone: Sophomore guard Rachel Bell has been on an offensive tear in the past three games, averaging 20.0 points per game and earning team-high scoring honors in each contest while helping VU ease past Air Force, Drexel and ETSU. Bell is shooting 58.5 percent (24-of-41) from the floor during the three-game surge, including going 10-of-17 (58 percent) from 3-point range. She started the spree with some incredible numbers during the wins over Air Force and Drexel, going 18-of-25 (72 percent) from the floor, including making 8-of-10 shots from 3-point range during those two games. Bell leads the Commodores in scoring at 12.9 points per game.
l Doing it with defense: The Commodores are traditionally known for their offensive explosiveness, but thus far this year, their defense has been the big story. Vanderbilt is holding opponents to just 51.4 points per game, which ranks 13th in the country, and has surrendered 39 points or less in four games this season. The Commodores have limited their opponents to 59 points or less in seven of their first nine games. … Vanderbilt is allowing opponents only 24.2 rebounds per game, which is the best mark among SEC teams by a wide margin through Dec. 8. (Missouri ranks second, allowing 30.3 rebounds per game).
l Scouting Troy: The Trojans are leading the nation in scoring at 97.4 points per game, which is easily ahead of the country’s second-highest scoring team, UConn (90.2 ppg). Troy also ranks fifth in the country in field goal percentage at 50.5 percent. … The Trojans are led in scoring by Kelley Beverly, a 5-6 senior guard, who is averaging 21.0 points per game and is shooting 52.5 percent from the floor. … Troy’s top rebounders are Amahni Upshaw, a 6-1 freshman forward, who is averaging 6.0 rebounds per game and Kristen Emerson, a 6-1 junior forward, who is averaging 5.8. … The Trojans rely heavily on 3-pointers. They are averaging 25 attempts from 3-point range per game, and are shooting 37.6 percent from behind the arc.
l Sizing up the Series: Thursday’s match-up will be just the third all-time meeting between the teams and the first since the 2004-05 season. The Commodores have won both of the previous games against the Trojans, including one game that came during head coach Melanie Balcomb’s tenure — a 78-50 Vanderbilt victory in Nashville in the 2004-05 season. Vanderbilt also posted an 82-51 win at Troy during the 1985-86 season in the first-ever meeting between the teams.
l Update on the Trojans: Thursday’s game will end a nine-day break between games for the Trojans (3-2), who haven’t played since blasting Nicholls, 104-51, on Dec. 1. … Troy is 0-2 on the road this season, having suffered a 102-93 loss to Belmont on Nov. 29 and a 73-69 setback at Samford on Nov. 17. … Troy is 3-0 at home and is averaging 101 points in those three games. The Trojans beat West Alabama, 103-72, and defeated Fort Valley State, 118-72, along with the win over Nicholls.
l VU’s most recent game: Playing their sixth game in the span of 13 days, the Commodores rolled past East Tennessee State, 65-39, last Saturday at Memorial Gym. It was Vanderbilt’s sixth consecutive win — and the 800th all-time victory in the program’s history. Rachel Bell scored a team-high 16 points and Rebekah Dahlman added 15 for the Commodores, who shot 61.5 percent from the floor in the second half. Dahlman came off the bench to go 5-of-7 from the floor as the Commodores’ bench outscored ETSU’s reserves, 30-8. Minta Spears finished with eight points and a team-high six assists, and Kristen Gaffney pulled down a team-high six rebounds. ETSU owned a 15-13 lead at the 8:14 mark of the second quarter, but Vanderbilt outscored the Bucs 12-0 over the rest of the quarter to grab a 25-15 halftime lead. The Commodores then opened the second half with an 18-7 surge to extend the advantage to 43-22 on a jumper by Batey with 2:35 left in the third quarter and sailed home from there.
Vanderbilt Game Notes: VU vs. Troy Game Notes 
Troy Game Notes: Troy’s Game Notes
