Dec. 8, 2010
Vanderbilt Game Notes 
| Webcast, Live Stats & Twitter
UT Martin (4-4, 0-0 OVC) at -/RV Vanderbilt (5-3, 0-0 SEC)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Venue: Memorial Gymnasium (14,168)
Radio: 560 AM
TV: None
Webcast: vucommodores.com
Series: Vanderbilt leads 8-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 21, 2008 in Nashville (Vanderbilt 86 – UT Martin 29)
Vanderbilt will end its run of playing three games in five days on Thursday when the Commodores host UT Martin at 7 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium. Thursday’s game will be Vanderbilt’s final game leading up to the start of final exams this weekend. Vanderbilt’s next game will not be until Dec. 19 at Duquesne.
The Commodores (5-3) enter their game against UT Martin (4-4) after defeating Southern Illinois 81-68 on Tuesday night behind Hannah Tuomi’s career-high 29 points. The win was the 200th of Head Coach Melanie Balcomb’s Vanderbilt career and snapped a two-game skid by the Commodores, who had lost at Bowling Green and at Denver. UT Martin is coming off a 53-30 loss at Missouri on Tuesday.
Single game tickets to watch the Commodores play the Skyhawks are $6 â€â€ as they are for Vanderbilt’s remaining non-conference games. At halftime of Thursday’s game, fans will be treated to the infamous mascot basketball game, which pits mascots from local teams and establishments against one another on the court.
The Skyhawks are directed by second-year coach Kevin McMillan, who came to UT Martin after serving as an assistant for two years at MTSU. Vanderbilt is 8-1 all-time against UT Martin with the Commodores posting an 86-29 victory in the last meeting on Nov. 21, 2008 at Memorial Gym.
Thursday’s game will air on 560 AM in Nashville with veteran play-by-play announcer Charlie Mattos on the call. Fans may also watch the game online by subscribing to All-Access on VUCommodores.com.
Last Time Out
Senior forward Hannah Tuomi poured in a career-high 29 points and Head Coach Melanie Balcomb picked up her 200th win at Vanderbilt as the Commodores snapped a two-game losing streak with an 81-68 win over Southern Illinois Tuesday at Memorial Gym.
The Commodores improved to 5-0 at home this season and 5-3 overall, but it did not come easily. Southern Illinois, 1-7, was able to cut an 18-point second-half lead to two before the Commodores went on a 9-0 run to extend their lead to 11 with 6:51 to play. Southern Illinois was unable to cut into Vanderbilt’s lead from that point on.
Tuomi scored 22 of her 29 points in the second half and stood at the free-throw line with 13 seconds to play just two points shy of Vanderbilt’s first 30-point game since Carla Thomas in 2006. She made the first free throw before the second one rimmed out.
Vanderbilt made 24-of-30 free throws, while SIU made 3-of-5 attempts.
Balcomb Wins No. 200
Vanderbilt Head Coach Melanie Balcomb earned the 200th win of her career on Tuesday against Southern Illinois. Balcomb became the third coach to win 200 games at Vanderbilt, joining Phil Lee and Jim Foster. Balcomb is the fastest to reach 200 and did so in 275 games, five games sooner than Foster.
Tuomi Posts Career High
Senior forward Hannah Tuomi scored a career high 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting against Southern Illinois. She also set career highs in free throws made and attempts, connecting on 11-of-15 from the line. However, it was a miss on her final attempt with 13 seconds to play, which prevented her from becoming the first Commodore to reach 30 points since Carla Thomas scored 32 (Nov. 30, 2006.)
Tuomi’s 15 free throw attempts tied for the 10th most in school history. No Vanderbilt player had scored as many points as Tuomi did since Thomas scored her 32. Tuomi has scored in double figures in seven straight games.
Solving the Turnover Woes?
Vanderbilt entered its game against Southern Illinois ranked 11th in the SEC in turnover margin (-0.1) and were averaging more turnovers (18.7) than any other team in the league. But against SIU, Vanderbilt committed a season low eight turnovers, which was its fewest turnovers since having seven against Maryland on March 28, 2009 in the NCAA Sweet 16. After the SIU game, VU moved to No. 7 in turnover margin (+0.1) and ranks 11th in turnovers per game (17.4).
Lister Not Playing Like a Freshman
Freshman guard Jasmine Lister has not looked like a freshman this season. The 5-foot-4 Lister is one of two players to start every game for Vanderbilt this season and is the only player to score in double figures in every game.
Commodores Lighting it Up
Vanderbilt has been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the SEC this season. The team leads the league in field-goal percentage (49.1%), three-point field-goal percentage (42.9%) and free-throw percentage (71.0%).
About UT Martin
Vanderbilt’s game against UT Martin on Thursday will be the 10th in series history. Vanderbilt leads the series 8-1 and is 5-0 at home. The Commodores have posted seven straight wins in the series. It will be the first meeting since VU won 86-29 on Dec. 21, 2008 in Nashville. Head Coach Melanie Balcomb is 2-0 all-time against UTM. The 29 points VU held the Skyhawks to in the last meeting is tied for the second-fewest points Balcomb has allowed at Vanderbilt. UTM is led by freshman guard Heather Martin, who averages 19.3 points per game.
Vanderbilt against the OVC
Vanderbilt is 53-17 all-time against teams currently in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Commodores are 35-3 in games at home against the OVC. The only team from the OVC with a winning record over VU is Tennessee Tech (10-6).
Injuries Adding Up
Vanderbilt lost freshman Clair Watkins due to a torn ACL five minutes into the team’s first practice and injuries have continued to be a factor for the Commodores this season. Senior Jence Rhoads missed the first two games with a right hamstring strain, which occured in the team’s second exhibition game.
Freshman Christina Foggie missed Vanderbilt’s game against Samford due to a strained tendon in her left calf and she suffered a concussion against Bowling Green, which kept her out against Denver and Southern Illinois. Against Quinnipiac, freshman center Stephanie Holzer missed the game due to back spasms. Holzer also missed the Denver and SIU games due to back issues.
Sophomore Tiffany Clarke played on six minutes against SIU before having to leave the game due to illness.