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No. 13 Vanderbilt Looks to Extend Non-Conference Home Streak against Memphis 12-1-04 12/1/2004 No. 13 Vanderbilt welcomes Memphis to Memorial Gymnasium at 6 p.m. CT Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader with the men’s team. The Commodores (4-0) won their own Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament over the weekend. The VU men will tip-off 30 minutes after the women. Vanderbilt scored 100 points for the second time in the season when VU routed Rhode Island, 108-53, in the opening round of the tournament. VU knocked off Siena, 76-47, to claim the tournament title. Senior guard Abi Ramsey was named the tournament’s most valuable player after averaging 19 points per game. She connected on 11-of-16 three-pointers in the tournament. Senior forward Ashley Earley and sophomore guard Dee Davis joined Ramsey on the all-tournament team. Earley leads the team averaging 18.8 ppg and 9.0 rebounds per game. She also leads the Southeastern Conference in field goal percentage (.718). Sophomore Carla Thomas averages 15.3 ppg while Ramsey is next with 14.3 ppg. Ramsey also leads the SEC in 3-pointers made with 15 averaging 3.75 per game while Davis is tops in the conference in assists per game (7.50). Vanderbilt enters the week ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 14 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. VU is forcing opponents into 30 turnovers per game while recording 15.8 steals per contest. The Commodores lead the SEC in nine categories: scoring offense (86.8 ppg), scoring defense (43.8 ppg), scoring margin (+43.0), field goal percentage (.536), field goal percent defense (.321), 3-point field goal percentage (.406), rebounding defense (27.0 rpg), assists (20.75 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.20). Memphis (4-0) comes to Memorial Gymnasium undefeated after winning its 13th Lady Tiger Classic title. The Lady Tigers defeated Centenary, 65-42, and UL Monroe, 71-67, to win the tournament. Senior Victoria Crawford was named the tournament’s MVP after scoring 12 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out six assists in the championship game. Crawford leads the team averaging 13 points. The Lady Tigers are averaging 61.8 points per outting while shooting .405 as a team. Vanderbilt won last season’s meeting over Memphis at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse in Memphis, 73-49. Hillary Hager picked up a career-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor, while Jenni Benningfield posted 16 points. Earley finished the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds. VU shot 54.9 percent from the field and outscored Memphis, 42-18, in the paint while forcing UM into 22 turnovers. VU leads the all-time series, 10-3, after winning last season’s meeting in Memphis, 73-49. Vanderbilt has won the last seven meetings over Memphis and nine of the last 10 meetings. The Commodores look to extend their nonconference home-game winning streak to 47 games. Up next after Memphis, the Commodores hit the road for two consecutive games. VU plays at Miami (Ohio) Saturday at 2 p.m., before traveling to Western Kentucky next Thursday for a 7 p.m. tip-off. |
