MBB Returns From Holiday Break With Game Against UT Martin Saturday at Noon

Dec. 28, 2007

GAME AT A GLANCE

Last Game: Shan Foster scored 22 points and No. 17 Vanderbilt overcame pesky Tennessee State, 83-74, last Saturday at Memorial Gym. Recap UT MARTIN (5-7) AT NO. 15 VANDERBILT (11-0) Sat., Dec. 29 at 12 p.m. CT Memorial Gym (14,316) Nashville, Tenn. TELEVISION: None RADIO: 104.5 the Zone Play-by-Play: Joe Fisher; Color: Tim Thompson SIRIUS: Channel 125 SERIES INFORMATION Vanderbilt leads 4-0. All meetings have taken place at Memorial Gym. LAST MEETING Vanderbilt won the last meeting, 94-60, on November 29, 2004. COACHES Kevin Stallings is in his ninth year at Vanderbilt (155-108) and his 15th overall (278-171). Bret Campbell is in his ninth season with UT Martin (91-148) and overall. SKYHAWKS PLAYER TO WATCH The Skyhawks have the nation’s third leading scorer in junior guard Lester Hudson. Hudson, from Memphis, is averaging 26.7 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per contest. In last Saturday’s loss to UNLV, he finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds to record his fifth double-double of the season. Earlier this year, he enjoyed a career-high 36 points against Morehead State as well as 35 at Memphis.

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Game Notes | Visit UT-Martin’s Website | Season Stats

Upcoming Home Games, Call 322-GOLD for Tickets:
Saturday, Dec. 29, vs. Tenn. Martin at 12 p.m. CT
Monday, Dec. 31, vs. Iona at 12 p.m. CT
Thursday, Jan. 3, vs. Rice at 7 p.m. CT
Saturday, Jan. 5, vs. UMASS at 3 p.m. CT

NASHVILLE – #15/15 Vanderbilt takes on Ohio Valley Conference member UT Martin this Saturday afternoon at noon in Memorial Gym after a seven-day holiday break. Joe Fisher and Tim Thompson will have the call on the Vanderbilt/ISP Radio Network, with no television scheduled for the contest.

The Commodores, number 15 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls, have reached their highest ranking since January 25, 1993, when Vanderbilt was 11th in the Associated Press rankings. That team was ranked for 12 weeks in the 1992-93 campaign.

Senior Shan Foster led the Commodores with 22 points and 12 rebounds, his third career double-double and first this season, in Vanderbilt’s last time out in a hard fought, 83-74 win over intracity foe Tennessee State on December 22. Trailing 56-47 with 11:52 to go in regulation, Vanderbilt used an 18-4 run to take a 65-60 lead with 7:33 remaining. The Commodores nailed five three pointers during the run, including two each from Foster and fellow senior Alex Gordon.

Vanderbilt also caught fire from the field in the second half, shooting 15-of-26 from the floor (57.7%), and a sizzling 7-of-9 from three (77.8). VU knocked down 10 threes in the game against the Tigers, the fifth time this season the Commodores have made 10 or more threes in a game, and shot 58.8% from beyond the arc, its best percentage for a game this season.

Vanderbilt and UT Martin will meet for the fifth time Saturday, with the Commodores holding a 4-0 advantage in the series. All games have been played on Vanderbilt’s campus at Memorial Gym. VU won the last meeting, 94-60, on November 29, 2004. Vanderbilt owns a 51-7 record against the Ohio Valley Conference, with UT Martin marking the Commodores’ third game against the OVC this season. VU knocked off Austin Peay and Tennessee State earlier this year.

Foster, the SEC’s leading scorer at 20.5 points per game, leads the Vanderbilt offensive attack and ranks in the top 23 in the SEC in scoring (1st, 20.5 ppg), rebounding (23rd, 5.3 rpg), field goal percentage (8th, .546), 3-point field goal percentage (2nd, .549), 3-point field goals made (1st, 4.09), and minutes played (8th, 32.73 mpg). Foster has also scored in double-digits in 15 consecutive games, dating back to the `Dores opening round game in the 2007 SEC Tournament against Arkansas. The Kenner, La., native will also be making the 100th start of his Vanderbilt career Saturday against the Skyhawks.

Freshman A.J. Ogilvy is third in the league in scoring at 19.0 points per game, and is the fourth leading freshman scorer in the nation and the country’s top international scorer. He also ranks fourth in FG% (.673), tied for 12th in rebounding (6.5/g), tied for fifth in defensive rebounding (5.0 rpg), 10th in free throw percentage (.763), and tied for 12th in blocks (1.27/g).

The Commodores’ 11-0 start to the 2007-08 season ties the second-best start in school history. The Commodores started the 1960-61 season with 11 straight victories, and the 2003-04 Commodores own the best start in school history, starting the year 12-0. Vanderbilt also has 24 wins so far in the 2007 year, which is two wins shy of the school record for wins in one year. The 1965 calendar year saw the Commodores win 26 games, a record this year’s team could tie with two more games left in 2007.

Tip off is set for noon CT at Memorial Gym.

TENNESSEE-MARTIN’S PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP