Dec. 20, 2015
Teams: Vanderbilt (8-2) vs. UT Martin (7-4)
Day, Date: Monday, Dec. 21
Tip-off time: Noon
Site: Memorial Gym (Nashville, Tenn.)
Radio: 560 AM / 95.9 FM
Viewing: SEC Network Plus (online)
Vanderbilt Game Notes: Vanderbilt vs. UT Martin Game 
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased by calling 615-322-GOLD, visiting the McGugin Center ticket office or logging on to vucommodores.com.
The Vanderbilt women are hoping that a long break between games won’t interrupt their momentum. Ending a 10-day layoff, the Commodores (8-2) return to action on Monday afternoon to host in-state rival UT Martin (7-4) at noon. Vanderbilt will carry a seven-game winning streak into the contest and will be looking to maintain its unbeaten record at home (The Commodores are 7-0 at Memorial Gym this season). UT Martin has been hot, too. The Skyhawks have ripped off five straight wins, including a road victory over Cincinnati on Friday night. Monday’s contest, which will be the Commodores’ final game before Christmas, will feature the annual Teddy Bear Toss promotion (details below). Here’s a closer look at the game:
l The skinny on the Commodores: Propelled by their hot shooting and intense defense, the Commodores have strung together seven consecutive wins, six of which have come by double figures, and have posted an 7-0 record at home. … Vanderbilt is ranked eighth in the nation in field goal percentage (49.2) and ninth in 3-point percentage (39.9). The Commodores defense has also been strong, surrendering only 50.6 points per contest, which ranks 13th in the nation. … Vanderbilt has three players averaging in double figures: Sophomore Rachel Bell leads the team at 12.2 points per game, sophomore Christa Reed is averaging 10.9 per game and senior Jasmine Jenkins is averaging 10.8. … Marqu’es Webb is VU’s top rebounder at 4.4 per game, while Minta Spears leads the team in assists (5.2) and minutes (33.1).
l Teddy Bears ready for take off: Monday’s game will include the annual “Teddy Bear Toss” promotion, which is always one of the most popular events of the season. Fans are encouraged to purchase new Teddy Bears and other stuffed animals to bring to the gym. At halftime, fans can participate in a contest in which they will attempt to throw the stuffed animals toward a target at midcourt. The person with the closest toss will receive a Vanderbilt prize pack. More importantly, all of the stuffed animals from the contest will be donated to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
l Scouting UT Martin: The Skyhawks are one of the country’s most prolific teams from long range. They are averaging 10.3 three-pointers per game, which ranks fifth in the nation, and are shooting 37.8 percent from behind the arc. Five different UTM players have made 10 or more 3-pointers this season, and eight players have made at least one. … DaiJai Ruffin, a 5-9 freshman guard/forward, is leading team in both scoring (14.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg). Haley Howard, a 6-0 senior forward, is averaging 13.8 ppg and Jessy Ward, a 5-8 junior guard, is averaging 13.3. Ward is 39-of-93 (41.9 percent) from 3-point range.
l Sizing up the Series: Monday’s game is the 12th all-time meeting between Vanderbilt and UT Martin. The Commodores own a 10-1 lead in the series, and have won nine straight against the Skyhawks. … The most recent meeting came during the 2011-12 season, when VU posted a 99-84 win on UT Martin’s home floor. … The Commodores are 6-0 all-time against UT Martin at Memorial Gym. … Vanderbilt head coach Melanie Balcomb is 4-0 against UT Martin during her tenure at VU, with two of the wins coming in Nashville. … The series dates back to the 1979-80 season, when the Commodores earned a 74-55 victory in Nashville in the first-ever game between the teams.
l Update on the Skyhawks: UT Martin comes into Monday’s contest on a five-game winning streak that started with an 83-65 home victory over Alabama on Dec. 2. The surge has also included home wins over Samford and Miami, along with road wins over Evansville and Cincinnati. … The Skyhawks have been busy in recent days, with Monday’s game representing their fourth contest in the span of nine days. … After opening the season with a lopsided victory over North Dakota, the Skyhawks lost their next three games, including a narrow 62-56 defeat at then-No. 23 Iowa State on Nov. 15. But UTM has gone 6-1 since Nov. 22, with the lone loss coming against Chattanooga.
l VU’s most recent game: In their most recent game, the Commodores gave head coach Melanie Balcomb the 300th win of her tenure at VU by blasting Troy, 97-43, on Dec. 10 at Memorial Gym. Troy came into the game as the nation’s highest-scoring team, averaging 97 points per game, but Vanderbilt’s lock-down defense forced 25 turnovers and limited the Trojans to 21 percent shooting from the floor. Christa Reed scored a season-high 19 points, going 5-of-6 from 3-point range, and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Jasmine Jenkins added 17 points and seven assists for the Commodores (8-2), who led 46-17 at the half. Reed finished 7-of-10 from the floor, including knocking down three 3-pointers in the first 2:19 of the second half.
