(RV/RV) Vanderbilt (17-2, 4-1 SEC) vs. Tennessee (11-6, 4-1 SEC)
Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024 • 2 p.m. CT
Food City Center • Knoxville, Tenn. • SEC Network
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Notes
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team heads east this Sunday to take on in-state rival Tennessee in an SEC matchup. Tipoff against the Lady Volunteers is set for 2 p.m. CT and will air live on SEC Network.
Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt comes into Sunday’s matchup sporting a 17-2 overall record, while the Commodores are 4-1 in SEC play. Vandy is coming off a 53-50 win over Auburn (RV/–) this past Thursday at Memorial Gymnasium. Freshman Khamil Pierre recorded her second-straight double-double by scoring a career-high 17 points and pulling down 10 rebounds against the Tigers.
>> The Commodores’ 4-1 SEC record ties for the second-best start in SEC play through the first five league games in program history. This season marks the 10th time that Vanderbilt has held a 4-1 record through five SEC games, with the most recent coming during the 2013-14 campaign. Only the 1992-93 Commodores team holds a better record, as Vanderbilt opened SEC play at 5-0.
>> At 17-2 this season, the Dores are off to their second-best start in program history. Vanderbilt’s 1992-93 Final Four team has had a better start to a season through the first 19 games, as that Commodores squad held an 18-1 mark.
>> Sunday’s matchup between the Commodores and Lady Volunteers will be the 88th meeting all-time between the two schools. Tennessee holds a 77-10 record against Vanderbilt and has won six-straight games against the Dores.
>> Vanderbilt is 1-36 all-time in Knoxville against the Lady Volunteers. Vanderbilt’s lone win on Rocky Top came back during the 2018-19 season when the Commodores picked up a 76-69 win in Knoxville. Graduate student Jordyn Cambridge was on that team and had four points and three assists in 19 minutes off the bench.
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 both major college women’s basketball polls this week. The Commodores picked up 16 votes in this week’s USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll, as Vanderbilt fell out of the poll after being ranked No. 24 last week. The Dores earned eight votes in this week’s Associate Press poll.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt holds a NET ranking of 50 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 second-most in the nation. The Commodores are one of five NCAA Division I schools that have won 17 games this season. Vandy’s 89.5% winning percentage is currently tied for the eighth-best winning percentage in NCAA Division I.
SEC Freshman of the Week (2x)
On Jan. 16, Khamil Pierre was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season. Pierre averaged 16.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in a pair of SEC contests against Kentucky and Missouri. The 6-2 freshman opened this week by scoring a career-high 17 points and collecting 10 rebounds in Thursday’s 53-50 win over Auburn to record her second-straight double-double.
Stepping Up in SEC Play
Junior Iyana Moore’s 20.7 points per game in SEC play is fourth-best in the conference. Moore has two of the top three 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 third-most points scored in an SEC game this year.
Tiger Queen
Freshman Khamil Pierre has posted back-to-back double-doubles against Missouri and Auburn, two of three Tiger mascots in the SEC. Pierre recorded her first collegiate double-double against the Tigers of Missouri on Jan. 14, as she scored 16 points and pulled a career-high 12 rebounds. Pierre followed that up with her second collegiate double-double just four days later, with a career-high 17 points and 10 rebounds against Auburn.
Moving Up the Steals List
Jordyn Cambridge’s 311 career steals are the second-most in program history. The guard needs 28 more steals to move past Deborah Denton (338; 1986-89) for first on the list.
Pierre’s On Fire
Freshman Khamil Pierre is riding a three-game double-digit scoring streak coming into Sunday’s contest, which is the longest double-figure scoring streak of her collegiate career. The 6-2 forward scored 16 points in back-to-back games at Kentucky (Jan. 11) and vs. Missouri (Jan. 14), then scored 17 points in her most recent outing against Auburn on Jan. 18.
Scouting the Lady Volunteers
Tennessee comes into Sunday’s game with an 11-6 overall record and a 4-1 record in SEC play. The Lady Volunteers are tied for second in the SEC standings with Vanderbilt and LSU. Tennessee holds a NET ranking of 56, while the Lady Vols are 7-2 at Food City Center this season.
Senior Rickea Jackson paces Tennessee in both scoring (19.3 ppg) and rebounds (8.8 rpg) in nine games this season. The 6-2 forward has scored double-digit points in every game she has played in this season and has collected two double-doubles on the year. Senior Jewel Spear (11.8 ppg), juniors Sara Puckett (11.0 ppg) and Karoline Striplin (10.4 ppg), and senior Jasmine Powell (10.0 ppg) are each averaging double-figure points this season.
The Lady Volunteers are averaging 77.5 points per game this season, while Tennessee is shooting 42.9 percent from the floor. The Lady Vols are connecting on 30.8 percent from behind the arc and average seven made 3-pointers per game. Defensively, Tennessee is allowing 70.9 points per game, while teams are shooting 39.0 percent from the field. The opposition is making 34.3 percent on 3-point field goals against the Lady Volunteers.
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