NASHVILLE, Tenn. — What an opportunity for head coach Shea Ralph and the Commodores this week.
After losing 53-52 to Florida on March 3 at the SEC Tournament, Vanderbilt sat at 14-18 and likely thought its season had come to an end. Then came Sunday.
Vandy was selected to participate in the National Invitational Tournament on Sunday and then found out Monday it will host Murray State at 7 p.m. Thursday.
“I’m so thrilled for our program,” Ralph said. “I think there’s a great buzz around our offices and the players’ excitement that this is what we’re meant to do, this is how we’re going to be in this program moving forward, this is what it feels like to play and prepare in March.
“I really wanted that for them this year and didn’t know if we were going to have the opportunity to do it, but the fact that we do, to me, is just sort of icing on the cake for our first year.”
The Commodores broke a six-game losing streak in February with a 63-59 win over Florida. They then dropped 2 of 3, but those two defeats came by a total of seven points and the victory was a resounding 85-69 triumph over Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament.
Vandy will hope to keep some of the momentum of solid play down the stretch going this week, but they’ll challenged in the regard of having a limited roster after senior guard Brinae Alexander recently announced her intention to transfer for the 2022-23 season. Alexander is no longer with the program.
“It can never fall on one person’s shoulders, right? We talk about that all year long. You have to prepare like you’re the person that has to step in and play 35 minutes,” Ralph said of replacing Alexander’s productivity. “We certainly are going to need some more contributions, especially from our younger guys, but really from everyone across the board. And if we do that, if everyone does a little bit more, we’re going to be absolutely fine.”
Murray State (22-9) finished third in the Ohio Valley Conference before going 1-1 in the OVC Tournament to start the month. The Racers are 7-2 in their last nine games.
Sophomore forward Katelyn Young (20.4 ppg) leads four Murray State players who score in double fugires while her and senior forward Alexis Burpo each grab at least eight rebounds per game. Head coach Rechelle Turner’s team is among the nation’s best in shooting, free-throw shooting, rebounding margin and in making the fewest fouls per game.
Vanderbilt last played in the postseason in 2014 and last appeared in the NIT in 1984. Returning to that stage in 2022 is a major step for Ralph and her program going into their first offseason.
“It’s obviously a huge step in the right direction,” Ralph said. “When you talk about playing in the postseason and playing in March, you have to earn that. That’s not something you can just decide you want to do and invite yourself. You have to be invited. You have to earn the opportunity to do that. It takes something special all year long and an investment level that we intend to have here year-in and year-out.”
• Vanderbilt is 4-3 all-time against Murray State with the last meeting coming in 2000.
• Vanderbilt senior Jordyn Cambridge goes into Thursday’s game with 117 steals, the second-most in a single Vanderbilt season. Deborah Denton is first with 123.
• Cambridge is eighth in Vanderbilt history with 222 career steals. Jackie Cowan is seventh with 235.
• Ralph (14) is tied with Stephanie White for the third-most wins in a first season by a Vanderbilt head coach. Joe Pepper won 15 and Jim Foster and Melanie Balcomb each won 22 in their respective first campaigns.
— Chad Bishop covers Vanderbilt for VUCommodores.com.
Follow him @MrChadBishop.
