Jan. 3, 2010
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VU Notes | MTSU Notes
TV: FSN | Radio: 104.5 the Zone | XM: 199 | Sirius: 214
The Commodores will play its final non-conference game of the season Monday night against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders at Memorial Gym. The game tips off at 8 p.m. CT, with game airing live on FSN South, ESPN360.com, and ESPN Full Court. If a television is not nearby, the action can be heard on the Vanderbilt-ISP Radio Network and vucommodores.com, with Joe Fisher and Tim Thompson courtside calling all of the action.
Vanderbilt has won four consecutive games after knocking off Southern Miss, 82-46, Saturday afternoon at Memorial Gym. The Commodores played one of their most complete games of the season against the Golden Eagles – VU shot 53.1% from the floor and 64.3% from three, limited Southern Miss to only 46 total points and a 28.1% from the floor (and only 14.3% from three), and outrebounded the Golden Eagles, 41-32, on the day.
Freshman John Jenkins led the team in scoring for the third consecutive game, scoring 20 points on six-of-six shooting from three. His shooting performance beyond the arc tied a Memorial Gym record for three-point field goal percentage, tying Barry Booker, Kevin Anglin and Dawid Przybyszewski for the gym record. All four of the players that hold the record went 6-of-6 from beyond the arc.
A.J. Ogilvy also added 17 points for the Commodores. Jermaine Beal scored 15 points, and Andre Walker tallied 10 points, five rebounds, and a career-high four blocks in the win.
Sophomore Jeffery Taylor, who had a season-low three points in 17 minutes vs. Southern Miss, leads the team in scoring and tied for the team lead in rebounding, averaging 14.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, respectively. Senior Jermaine Beal adds 12.8 points per game, and Ogilvy chips in 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. Jenkins has also cracked the double-digit barrier in scoring, averaging 10.7 points per game.
Vanderbilt’s offense has taken off in its last four games, averaging 87.8 points per game in the four wins over Tennessee State, Mercer, Manhattan, and Southern Miss. The Commodores are shooting 55.4% from the floor (129-233) in the four games, and has a scoring margin of +31.8. As well as the offense has played, Vanderbilt’s defense may be better. The Commodores have limited opponents to a 56.8 scoring average and a .304 shooting percentage in their last four games.
Monday’s meeting with Middle Tennessee State will be Vanderbilt’s 31st all-time meeting with the Blue Raiders. VU holds a 26-4 lead all-time in the career series, and a 14-0 mark all-time in games played at Vanderbilt.
Middle Tennessee State enters the game with a 7-6 record after most recently defeating Louisiana-Lafayette in their last time out. MTSU has won four consecutive games.
Senior forward Desmond Yates leads the Blue Raiders in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game. Montario Haddock (13.4) and James Washington (12.2) also average double figures, with Haddock leading MTSU on the glass with 5.9 rebounds per contest.
