Vanderbilt (19-7, 6-6 SEC) vs. Tennessee (15-9, 8-4 SEC)
Sunday, Feb. 18, 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 returns to Memorial Gymnasium Sunday to take on in-state rival Tennessee in SEC action. Tipoff against the Lady Volunteers is set for 1 p.m. on SEC Network.
Starting Five
>> The Commodores return to Memorial Gym after a successful two-game road trip that saw Vanderbilt pick up wins at Georgia (61-55) and at Texas A&M (49-45). Vanderbilt stands at 19-7 overall this season, while the Dores are an even 6-6 in SEC play. Freshman Khamil Pierre scored a team-high 11 points in Thursday’s 49-45 come-from-behind 49-45 victory at Texas A&M. The Commodores ended the game on a 10-run, in which Vandy turned a six-point deficit into a four-point win.
>> Sunday’s matchup between the Commodores and Lady Volunteers will be the 89th all-time meeting between the two schools. Tennessee holds a 78-10 record against Vanderbilt and has won seven-straight games against the Dores.
>> Vanderbilt is 7-31 against Tennessee inside Memorial Gymnasium. The last Commodore win over the Lady Vols came back on Jan. 12, 2014, when Vandy picked up a 74-63 victory.
>> The Dores are 11-4 at home this season. Vanderbilt comes into Sunday’s matchup against Tennessee looking to snap a three-game skid at Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt is 32-16 at home under head coach Shea Ralph.
>> A pair of promotions take place Sunday at Memorial Gymnasium. It will be Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball Alumni Day, along with this year’s Blackout game. All fans are encouraged to wear black to the game.
Game Coverage
Sunday’s contest will air live at 1 p.m. on SEC Network. Fans can 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 59 coming into Sunday’s game. The Commodores have the 10th-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.
Going for Win No. 20
Vanderbilt comes into Sunday’s game with 19 wins on the year. That is the most wins in a season for the Commodores under third-year Shea Ralph. The last time Vandy won 20 games came during the 2012-13 campaign when the Dores collected 21 wins. As a program, Vanderbilt has posted 20 or more wins in a season 27 times.
Moving Up the Steals List
Jordyn Cambridge’s 325 career steals are the second-most in program history. The guard needs 14 more steals to move past Deborah Denton (338; 1986-89) for first on the list.
Pierre’s Record-Setting SEC Freshman of the Week Honor
On Feb. 13, Khamil Pierre was named SEC Freshman of the Week for a program-record third time. Pierre averaged 20.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in a pair of games last week, highlighted by her career-high 28-point performance in a win at Georgia. The freshman also collected a double-double against LSU, as she scored 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds against the defending national champions.
Picking Their Pockets
Vanderbilt is third in the SEC in steals per game at 10.5. Vandy’s 10.5 steals per game average is also 34th-best nationally. Graduate student Jordyn Cambridge paces the SEC in steals with 91. Cambridge’s 91 total steals are third-most in NCAA Division I this season.
Closing in on 1,000 Career Points
Graduate student Jordyn Cambridge needs 24 more points to join Vanderbilt’s 1,000-point club. The sixth-year player has currently scored 976 points over 113 games as a Commodore. When she hits the mark, Cambridge will become the 40th Vanderbilt women’s basketball player to score 1,000 career points.
Long Rang Options
Vanderbilt has six players that have hit 10 or more 3-pointers this season. Sophomore Justine Pissott leads the team with 41 made 3-pointers. Graduate student Jordyn Cambridge and junior Iyana Moore are right behind Pissott with 39 made 3-point field goals each. Freshman Aga Makurat has hit 28 3-point field goals and sophomore Ryanne Allen has drilled 13 3-pointers. Freshman Madison Greene sank 10 3-pointers on the year before her season-ending injury vs. Lipscomb on Dec. 17.
Scouting the Lady Vols
Tennessee comes to Nashville sporting a 15-9 overall record and an 8-4 mark in SEC play. The Lady Volunteers are coming off a 66-55 home loss to No. 1-ranked South Carolina. Tennessee will be looking for the season sweep against Vanderbilt, as UT picked up a 73-64 win in Knoxville back on Jan. 21. The Lady Vols hold a NET ranking of 43 coming into Sunday’s contest.
Senior Rickea Jackson leads a quartet of double-digit scorers for Tennessee, as the All-American is averaging 18.6 points per game. Jackson had a 16-point, 10-rebound performance against the Commodores in the Jan. 21 win at Food City Center. The 6-2 forward is also averaging a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game and has posted three double-doubles this season. Senior Jewel Spear is putting up 12.8 points per contest, while she leads the team in 3-point field goals made with 48. Junior Sara Puckett (10.4 ppg) and senior Jasmine Powell (10.0 ppg) round out Tennessee’s group of double-figure scorers.
The Lady Volunteers are averaging 76.4 points per game this season, while they are shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from behind the arc. Defensively, Tennessee is allowing 70.1 points per contest. Teams are shooting 40.0 percent from the field against the Lady Vols, while the opposition is hitting 33.1 percent on 3-point field goal attempts.
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