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No. 12 Commodores Open SEC Play with South Carolina 1-8-05 1/8/2005 Fans Invited to Jam the Gym Sunday Vanderbilt (11-2) opens SEC play at home Sunday for the second straight season when the Commodores host South Carolina (5-9) inside Memorial Gymnasium at 2 p.m. Game Notes Fans are Invited to “Jam the Gym” for the SEC opener Sunday. Tickets are $1 on fan appreciation day. The first 2,000 fans will receive lapel pins commemorating the 2004 SEC Tournament Championship. Vanderbilt will also sponsor “Fun for Kids” including entertainment featuring an appearance from SpongeBob SquarePants, an airbrush artist and a sign making station in the South Lobby beginning at 1:15 p.m. Fans will also be treated to mascot basketball game at halftime featuring mascots from the Nashville area (Ozzie, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital’s Champ, T-Rac, Mr. Commodore and more). A post-game autograph session with the 2004-05 women’s basketball team will follow. Vanderbilt (5-9) dropped its first game of the season at home and first nonconference home game in 49 games Thursday night against NC State, 65-64. VU had its five-game win streak snapped. Sophomore guard Dee Davis scored a team-high 13 points and Carla Thomas added her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Abi Ramsey became the all-time leader in school history in three-pointers when she hit her 204th career three-pointer with 1:43 left in the first half. Ashley Earley scored 12 points to round out the scoring for the Commodores. On the season, Earley continues to lead the team averaging 19.3 points per game and 8.8 rebounds. Dee Davis runs the offense averaging 14.8 points per outing and 6.8 assists per game. Carla Thomas (14.2) and Abi Ramsey (11.7) are the other two Commodores averaging in double figures. Vanderbilt averages 84.9 ppg which leads the nation in scoring offense while wracking up a +34.2 scoring margin, which is also tops in the nation. The Commodore defense ranks third nationally holding teams to 50.8 ppg. The ‘Dores are shooting a Southeastern Conference best 52.1 percent from the field and holding their opponents to a 36.0 percent field goal percentage. The Commodores have already connected on 91-of-239 from three-point range good enough for an SEC best 38.1 percent. Defensively, Vandy forces 25.9 turnovers per game while picking up 13.2 steals per game. South Carolina (5-9) is looking for its first Southeastern Conference victory after falling to Miss. State in the Gamecocks’ last outing, 55-48. The Gamecocks held Miss. State to 24.6 percent shooting from the field, but the Bulldogs forced South Carolina into 26 turnovers. Melanie Johnson and Lauren Simms each scored 12 points to lead the Gamecocks. South Carolina also looks to snap a three-game losing streak having drop games to Seton Hall, Virginia and Miss. State in the last three outings. Simms leads the team averaging 14.2 points per game. South Carolina has seven players listed over six-feet on their roster. The Gamecocks leads the SEC in blocks per game averaging 6.5. Since 1985-86, Vanderbilt is 13-6 in Southeastern Conference Openers. Vanderbilt has opened up SEC play with South Carolina three times. VU is 2-1 against the Gamecocks in SEC openers. Vandy won during the 1995-96 season on the road, 80-69, and during the 1996-97 season at home, 70-33. South Carolina won during the 2001-02 season, 71-52. Vanderbilt takes to the road for its next SEC game Thursday when the Commodores travel to Auburn Thursday for a 7 p.m. tip. |
