No. 12 Vanderbilt (23-9) vs. No. 5 Baylor (24-7)
Friday, March 22, 2024 • 5 p.m. CT
Cassell Coliseum • Blacksburg, Va. • ESPNU • Bracket
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Notes • March Madness Page
BLACKSBURG, Va. – The No. 12-seed Vanderbilt women’s basketball team continues dancing in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, as the Commodores are set to take on No. 5-seed Baylor on Friday for a first round NCAA Tournament matchup at Cassell Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt advanced to the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament by collecting a 72-68 win over No. 12-seeded Columbia in the First Four on Wednesday. It marked the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2013. Junior Iyana Moore scored a game-high 22 points, while she sank four 3-pointers. Junior Sacha Washington registered her third-straight double-double with a 16-point, 15-rebound performance against the Lions. Moore and Washington were two of four Commodores to score double-digit points in the First Four victory, as they were joined by freshman Khamil Pierre (11 pts) and sophomore Justine Pissott (10 pts).
>> Vanderbilt is playing in its 28th NCAA Tournament. That is tied for 12th-most appearances in NCAA women’s basketball history with Ohio State. The Commodores are playing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament since 2014. The Dores are 40-27 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Vanderbilt has made 14 appearances in the Sweet 16, while Vandy has advanced to the Elite Eight five different times. The Dores have made a run to the Final Four once, having played in the 1993 NCAA Final Four against Texas Tech in Atlanta.
>> Friday’s contest marks the first time that Vanderbilt and Baylor played against each other. Baylor has made 20-straight NCAA Tournaments, while the Bears are making their 22nd overall March Madness appearance. Baylor has won three NCAA titles (2005, 2012, 2019) and has made the Final Four a total of four times, with the last appearance coming in 2019.
>> Vanderbilt earned its first bid into the NCAA Tournament since the 2013-14 season after going 22-9 overall and finishing sixth in the SEC. The Commodores posted their first 20-win since in 11 years, while Vandy collected a school-record six SEC road wins to help them go 9-7 in SEC play. Vanderbilt comes into March Madness with a NET ranking of 56.
>> The winner of Friday’s contest will advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they will take on the winner between No. 4-seed Virginia Tech and No. 13-seed Marshall. The last time Vandy advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament came in 2013.
Game Coverage
Friday’s contest will air live on ESPNU at 5 p.m. CT. Fans can listen to the game on the Vanderbilt Commodores app or on 94.9 The Fan in the Nashville area.
Ticket Information
Tickets for Friday’s game is sold out.
1,000 Career Points
Junior Sacha Washington recorded her 1,000th career point in Wednesday’s First Four win over Columbia. Washington is the 41st Commodore to record 1,000 career points at Vanderbilt. She is the second Commodores to score her 1,000th career point this season, as she joined Jordyn Cambridge.
A Tangible Improvement
Vanderbilt’s 23 wins this season marks an 11-win improvement from last year’s win total of 12. That is tied for the largest improvement in win total from year-to-year in program history, matching the 1983-84 team.
Going for Win No. 24
Vanderbilt’s 23 wins on the year are the most in a season for the Commodores under third-year Shea Ralph, while it is the 28th time in program history that Vanderbilt has won 20 or more games in a season. The last time Vanderbilt had 24 or more wins in a year came during the 2008-09 campaign, when the Dores collected 26 wins and made a run to the Sweet 16.
Moving Up the SEC Career Steals List
Jordyn Cambridge’s 347 career steals is Vanderbilt’s school record for most career steals, while it ranks eighth on the SEC’s all-time steals list. Cambridge needs four more steals to move into seventh place, which is currently occupied by Alabama’s Niesa Johnson (350; 1992-95).
Washington Racking Up the Double-Doubles
Sacha Washington recorded her third-straight double-double in Wednesday’s First Four win, as she scored 16 points and pulled down 15 rebounds against Columbia. It is the second time this season that Washington has rolled off three-consecutive double-doubles. It marks her ninth career double-double, while its the 22nd of her career.
Moore Production
Junior Iyana Moore comes into the first round of the NCAA Tournament on a six-game double-digit scoring streak. Moore registered 22 points in the First Four win over Columbia. The guard is averaging 20.0 points per game during the streak, while she has scored 20 or more points in three-straight games. Moore has also tallied double-digit points in 17 of her last 20 games.
A Look at Baylor
The Bears come into the 2024 NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 24-7. Baylor is the No. 5 seed in the Portland Region 3 side of the bracket. The Bears have won six of their last seven games, while they hold a NET ranking of 18. Baylor is ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press poll, while they are No. 18 in the USA Today/WBCA poll.
Senior Dre’una Edwards leads the Bears in scoring at 12.0 points per game. The 6-2 forward is shooting 49.7 percent from the floor. Senior Sarah Andrews is putting up 11.1 points per contest, while she has made a team-high 65 3-pointers and is shooting 35.0 percent from behind the arc. Sophomore Darianna Littlepage-Buggs rounds out Baylor’s trio of double-digit scorers at 10.5 points per contest.
As a team, Baylor averages 74.8 points per game and is shooting 44.5 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from behind the arc. Defensively, the Bears give up 59.6 points per contest. Teams are connecting on 44.5 percent of their shots against Baylor, while making 26.1 percent from behind the arc.
Follow Us
For more information and exclusive content on the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team, follow @VandyWBB on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X.
