Nov. 17, 2014
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Highlights | Balcomb | Kea & Webb
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On an unusually cool November evening, an old-fashioned barn-burner heated up Memorial Gymnasium as Vanderbilt bested Wisconsin-Green Bay, 68-64 in overtime Monday.
With all five starters in double figures, Vanderbilt (2-0) had double-doubles from inside players Marqu’es Webb (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau, who enjoyed her second straight double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. Mehryn Kraker led Green Bay (1-1) with 17 points, all but four in the second half.
It was an intense game of ebbs and flows that Commodore Head Coach Melanie Balcomb likened to an NCAA Tournament contest.
“Basketball is a game of runs but stamina is clearly still an issue with us,” she said afterward. “We started strong and wore them down, then they’d call a time out and go on a run and wear us down. That team is extremely well coached and keeps you off balance. They changed defensives and we have a lot of freshmen on the floor that have never seen any of that. To still pull out a win is obviously a real positive.”
Both Paris Kea and Webb felt the team needs to work on better consistency, especially on the defensive side where the Commodores played a 2-3 zone much of the night.
Webb feels the team’s opening two stressful wins (besting Belmont, 65-58) will prove beneficial as the year progresses.
“Honestly, I love it,” Webb said. “Having a year under my belt these kind of games will help us. You have some teams winning games by 50 points this time of year but I think these kind of games will help us when the SEC rolls around.”
Vanderbilt jumped on the talented Phoenix quickly. With Reed leading the way with eight points the Commodores rushed out to a 14-2 lead in a matter of minutes. Green Bay cut it to 14-6 before Vandy expanded its advantage to 23-8 with the inside power of Marqu’es Webb and crisp floor play providing much of the spark.
Just when it appeared it might be the Commodores’ night, the Phoenix came storming back late in the half with Tesha Buck, a 5-11 guard, scoring 11 of her 13 points in a matter of minutes. The lead shrunk to three on several occasions in the waning moments of the half.
The halftime stat sheet belied the 33-30 score as Vandy hit a scorching 60% of its shots (10 of 28) and Green Bay just 35.7%, about double what it shot in the opening 10 minutes. The Commodores held a significant 19-11 edge on the glass at intermission.
Vanderbilt’s swarming defense had much to do with providing some breathing room at one point of the second half. Green Bay scored to make it 39-35 Phoenix at the 16:46 mark but could only add four more points until Vandy was up 52-43 with 7:48 left.
That margin proved to be the `Dores high-water mark as the Phoenix came storming back again, trimming the deficit to 52-51 with 4:25 left behind Kraker and Sam Terry.
It was a donny-brook from that point with fierce floor play broken by free throws. It was 56-53 with 1:24 left. Green Bay’s Allie Leclaire hit a three from the left side to tie the game with :38 remaining. Vanderbilt called timeout to plot strategy. Freshman Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau coolly hit a shot from the free throw line with 13.9 left for a 58-56 edge but Leclaire drove the right lane to make a lay-up with four seconds to play. The Commodores were unable to get a shot off and the buzzer sounded, tied at 58.
Freshmen took over the overtime scoring. Reed hit a baseline jumper to make it 60-58, the Caron-Goudreau made a driving lay-up and Paris Kea yet another lay-up and free throw to make it 65-60 with :51.4 left. A Webb free throw made it 66-60 but Kracker hit a clutch trey with :25.9 to make it 66-63. Caron-Goudreau converted a pair of free throws with :24.9 left and the Phoenix could only add a free throw with 11.4 left to close out the scoring.
The Commodores next travel to Madison Thursday to play Wisconsin.
