Dores Commence SEC Play Against Arkansas and Mississippi State

Razorbacks rundown

• Arkansas began SEC play against No. 7 Tennessee on Sunday, falling 70-63 to the Lady Vols after having its initial SEC opener at Ole Miss postponed.
• Jersey Wolfenbarger was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Nov. 30, the first SEC honor for Wolfenbarger, and the second SEC Freshman of the Week honoree for the Hogs this season as Samara Spencer took home the award following Week 1. That marked the first time the Hogs have had two different players win Freshman of the Week in the same season since joining the league.
• Head coach Mike Neighbors announced Nov. 26 the addition of Saylor Poffenbarger. Poffenbarger, who will transfer to Arkansas from Connecticut, will not appear in games until the fall of 2022.
• The Razorbacks were picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll with Amber Ramirez earning Second Team All-SEC recognition.

Bulldogs breakdown 

• Mississippi State commenced SEC play against No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday, falling to the top-ranked Gamecocks 80-68.
• The Bulldogs had a pair of games postponed (Florida and Kentucky) due to health and safety protocols.
• On Dec. 21, Denae Carter was named SEC Freshman of the Week after three consecutive double-doubles to close out nonconference play.
• Junior Rickea Jackson reached 1,000 points in Mississippi State’s 74-66 win over Jackson State on Dec. 19.
• Preseason award watch lists for the Bulldogs: Rickea Jackson and Anastasia Hayes were named to the 2021-22 John R. Wooden Award top-50; Jackson earned a place on the 2022 Cheryl Miller watchlist; Hayes and Myah Taylor were placed on the 2022 Nancy Lieberman watchlist.

A night for the (record) books

• Vanderbilt closed out nonconference with a 94-42 victory over Alabama State behind a recording setting night from Iyana Moore. The freshman set a program record of nine three-pointers made in a single game, breaking the previous mark of eight held by Christina Foggie, Meredith Marsh and Abi Ramsey. She paced the Commodore efforts from long range, bombarding the Hornets with 17 3-pointers breaking the singes-game program record set back in 1993. Moore’s 32-points ties for the third-most points in a single game by a Vandy freshman.

Defending home court

• The Commodores are on a six game winning streak at home. Having kept Memorial loss-free for 46 days with the one and only home loss coming from Little Rock on Nov. 12 (40-56).

Double (double) trouble 

• Jordyn Cambridge notched her third career double-double against Albany with 10 points and 10 steals, her second double-double of the season. With 10 steals in a single game, Cambridge now holds the No. 2 spot in program history for most steals in a game.
• Sacha Washington tallied back-to-back double-doubles against DePaul (14 points and 10 rebounds) and Chattanooga (11 points and 10 rebounds).

Commodores control nonconference slate

• In its ninth win of the season, Vanderbilt notched defeated the Hornets of Alabama State 94-42, the largest margin of victory this season, Dec. 28. Previously, Vandy’s largest margin of victory came against Chattanooga on Nov. 30 (91-61).

Numbers don’t lie 

• In Division I, the Commodores are ranked 68th in assists, 54th in rebound margin, 70th in rebounds, 47th scoring defense, eighth in steals, 24th in steals per game, 66th in 3-point field goals made, 75th in 3-point field goal percentage, 82nd in turnover margin and 27th in turnovers forced.
• Cambridge is ranked 40th in assists, 77th in assists per game, 69th in minutes played, first in steals and third in steals per game.
• Brinae Alexander ranks 65th in field goals attempted, 70th in field goals made, 87th in final points and 100th in minutes played.
• Moore is ranked 75th in 3-point field goals attempted, 31st in 3-point field goals made, 86th in 3-point field goals per game and 48th 3-point field goal percentage.

Fresh faces 

• Moore scored her 100th point against Albany to join elite company as one of the fastest freshmen to reach this milestone, taking her only 11 games.
• The freshmen quartet in Moore, De’Mauri Flournoy, Kendal Cheesman and Washington have combined for 324 points this season, 34.9 percent of the total points scored for Vanderbilt.
• All active members for Vandy scored against Chattanooga and the Vanderbilt bench produced a season-high 49 points, the first time of the season.

A Vandy win would

• Push Vanderbilt to 26 total wins in the all-time series and break the three-game losing streak against Arkansas.
• Extend the Commodores’ win streak to five-games, the longest of the season.
• Be coach Ralph’s first SEC victory.
• First conference home opening win since the 2019-20 season (defeated Auburn on Jan. 2, 2020, 77-55).
• Be Vandy’s first win against Mississippi State since the 2014-15 season.

A Vandy loss would

• Break Vanderbilt’s win streak.
• Continue Arkansas’ winning streak against the Dores, going 3-0 in last several meetings.
• Put Mississippi State on an eight game winning streak against the Commodores.
• Be the second consecutive season opening the SEC slate with back-to-back losses.

On deck

• Vanderbilt will host ranked Tennessee on at 8 p.m. on Jan. 13 in Memorial Gymnasium.