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SEC Tourney Title Helps Vanderbilt Vault Six Spots in AP Poll 3-9-04 3/9/2004 #15 Marks Highest Ranking for the Black and Gold this Season The Vanderbilt women’s basketball squad was the big mover in this week’s Associated Press rankings as the Commodores utilized a Southeastern Conference Tournament title run to jump six spots in this week’s poll from 21st to 15th. The rating is the highest for the Commodores in the AP Poll since the end of the 2002-03 campaign when the ‘Dores were ranked #14. Vanderbilt became just the second team in SEC Tournament history to win the title despite having to play four games in four days, joining ninth-seeded Auburn who bested Tennessee for the trophy in 1997. After routing Kentucky in the tournament’s opening round, the Commodores defeated three consecutive ranked teams, #19/22 Auburn, #15/14 LSU and #20/16 Georgia, to move their 2003-04 record against rated opponents to 6-3. Vanderbilt is now a perfect 8-0 all-time at the Gaylord Entertainment Center and has won its last five matchups with squads in the top-25. Freshman All-SEC team member Carla Thomas was named the SEC Tournament’s Most Valuable Player after a 22-point, 11-rebound performance in the title tilt helped rally the Black and Gold from an 18-point, second-half deficit for a 62-56 triumph over the Georgia Lady Bulldogs. Duke (25 first place votes/1,145 points) regained the top spot this week after advancing to Monday’s ACC Tournament final with a 70-63 comeback win over Maryland. Texas (14 first place votes/1,107 points), Connecticut (three first-place votes/1,075 points) and Penn State (four first-place votes/1,031 points) each moved up a slot to occupy positions two through four after #5 Tennessee’s 68-66 overtime loss to #16 Georgia in the SEC Tournament semifinals. Purdue, Louisiana Tech (one first-place vote), Kansas State, North Carolina and Texas Tech are in positions six through 10. Houston, the Conference USA regular-season and tournament champion, Stanford, Colorado and Baylor remained in spots 11-14, respectively, while Vanderbilt utilized an impressive title run to climb six spots to #15. SEC Tournament runner-up Georgia rose from #20 to #16 on the strength of its upset win over the then-#1 Lady Vols, while LSU, TCU, Oklahoma and Ohio State round out spots 17-20. Auburn, who suffered three losses to the Commodores this season, dropped to #21. Minnesota, Boston College, Michigan State and Villanova complete the Associated Press Top 25. #15 Vanderbilt now awaits this Sunday’s NCAA Selection Show (Mar. 14) to find out its seeding and destination for “March Madness.” The show is scheduled to be aired on ESPN at 4:00 p.m. |
