(RV/RV) Vanderbilt (14-1, 1-0 SEC) vs. Florida (9-4, 0-1 SEC)
Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024 • 1 p.m. CT
Memorial Gymnasium • Nashville, Tenn. • SEC Network • Tickets
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team’s SEC home opener is set for Sunday, as the Commodores will host Florida. Tipoff against the Gators is set for 1 p.m. and will stream live on SEC Network+.
Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt enters the weekend with a 14-1 record overall and a perfect 1-0 mark in SEC play. The Commodores picked up a 71-66 victory at Mississippi State in their SEC opener this past Wednesday. Junior Iyana Moore scored a season-high 29 points in the win over the Bulldogs. The 29-point performance against MSU is the most points that Moore has scored against an SEC team.
>> Vanderbilt is seeking its first 2-0 start in SEC play since the 2012-13 season. The win at Mississippi State in Wednesday’s league opener marked the first time that the Commodores have won an SEC opener on the road since Jan. 5, 2009, when Vandy opened SEC play with an 85-76 win at Alabama.
>> At 14-1, Vanderbilt is off to its best start through the first 15 games since the 2006-07 campaign. It is only the fourth time in program history that Vandy has won 14 or more games over the first 15 contests, joining the 1992-93 (15-0), 2006-07 (14-1), 1995-96 (14-1), and teams.
>> Sunday’s matchup between the Commodores and Gators will be the 63rd meeting all-time between the two schools. Vanderbilt holds the all-time series lead at 34-28. Florida has won four of the last five meetings, which includes two-straight victories over Vanderbilt.
>> The Dores are 17-10 all-time at Memorial Gymnasium against Florida. The Commodores picked up a 63-59 win over the then-No. 15-ranked Gators in the last meeting at Memorial between the two schools.
$1 Game
All tickets to Sunday’s SEC home opener against Florida are just $1. Fans can purchase tickets by clicking the link here. The first 350 fans in attendance will receive a free Vanderbilt women’s basketball record coaster set. Doors at Memorial Gymnasium open one hour prior to tipoff.
Game Coverage
Sunday’s contest will stream live at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+. Fans can also listen to the game on the Vanderbilt Commodores app or on 94.9 The Fan in the Nashville area.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt holds a NET ranking of 53 coming into Thursday’s game. The Commodores have the eighth-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 14 wins this season are the second-most collected in the nation this season. The Commodores are one of eight NCAA Division I schools that have won 14 games this season. Iowa leads the nation with 15 wins overall. The Commodores’ 93.9% winning percentage is currently the seventh-best winning percentage in NCAA Division I.
Receiving Top-25 Votes
Vanderbilt earned votes in both major women’s college basketball polls this week. The Commodores picked up three votes in both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. It is the first time that Vandy has received votes in the AP Top 25 Poll since Week 8 of the 2016-17 season.
Winning Streak
Vanderbilt comes into Sunday on a seven-game winning streak. It is the second time this season that the Commodores, matching Vandy’s seven-game winning streak to open the 2023-24 season.
Shooting Efficiency
Junior Sacha Washington and graduate student Jordyn Oliver are one of two pairs of SEC teammates who are shooting over 55% from the field with 40 or more made field goals this season. With South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso and Ashlyn Watkins being the other duo.
Washington enters the game ranked fourth in the SEC with a 55.4% shooting percentage. Washington’s field goal percentage is the 47th-best in NCAA Division I this season. Oliver is shooting 62.5% (40-of-64) from the field this season, which would be the best in the SEC if she had enough shot attempts to qualify.
Scouting the Gators
Florida comes to Nashville sporting a 9-4 record overall and a 0-1 mark in the SEC. The Gators dropped 89-66 contest in their SEC opener against South Carolina. Florida enters the weekend holding a NET ranking of 43.
Senior Aliyah Matharu leads the Gators in scoring at 18.3 points per game, which is the third-highest scoring average in the SEC this season. The 5-7 guard is shooting 42.7% from the floor and leads UF in assists (41) and steals (32). Seniors Leilani Correa (14.5 ppg) and Ra Shaya Kyle (13.2) round out Florida’s trio of double-digit scorers.
The Gators are averaging 78.7 points per game this season, which is fourth-best in the SEC. Florida is shooting 45.0% from the field, while UF is connecting on 31.7% of its shots from behind the arc. Defensively, UF is giving up 65.0 points per game this season. Teams are shooting 37.5% from the floor against the Gators this season, while the opposition is hitting 31.5% on 3-point field goals.
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