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No. 15 Commodores Look to End Streak Against No. 8 Tennessee 1-15-05 1/15/2005 Game Notes No. 15 Vanderbilt hosts No. 8 Tennessee in an in-state Southeastern Conference battle Sunday at 2 p.m. CT in Memorial Gymnasium. The game will be televised live by Fox Sports South on SEC-TV. Vanderbilt (13-2, 2-0 SEC) improved to 2-0 in Southeastern Conference play after rallying to defeat Auburn for the eighth straight time, 73-67, last Thursday night. Sophomore forward Carla Thomas scored a career-high 32 points including 22 second half points and senior forward Ashley Earley added 22 points as the two combined for 54 of Vandy’s 73 points. The Commodores trailed 59-51 with 8:01 left and tied the game, 64-64, with 2:57 left. The Commodores then outscored Auburn, 9-3 in the final three minutes to go ahead to the win. Vanderbilt out-rebounded the Tigers, 19-7, in the second half and out-rebounded the Tigers, 34-24, in the game. On the season, Earley continues to lead the team averaging 19.2 points per game. She has eight 20-point games on the season while leading the SEC in field goal percentage (.691). Thomas averages 15.5 ppg and 24 points per game in SEC play. She ranks second in the league in field goal percentage (.603). As a team, the Commodores shoot a league-best 51.9 percent from the field including a league-best 38.9 percent from three-point range. Vanderbilt averages 19.1 assists per contest. Tennessee (11-3, 1-0 SEC) cruised to a 72-54 win over Arkansas at home in its SEC opener Thursday night. Shanna Zolman scored a game-high 16 points leading four Lady Vols in double figures. Tye’sha Fluker scored 12 points and Dominique Redding and Shyra Ely each had 10 points. Ely finished off a double-double with 11 rebounds. Tennessee held Arkansas to 33.3 percent from the field and shot 43.6 percent from the field in the win. Tennessee has won three in a row after picking up wins over Old Dominion, Connecticut and Arkansas. On the season, Ely leads the team averaging 13.2 points per game and a team-high 7.1 rpg. Brittany Jackson chips in 9.1 ppg. The Lady Vols shoot .386 from the field while holding opponents to a .362 percentage. Tennessee is averaging 42.8 rebounds per contest. This will be the 48th meeting between Vanderbilt and Tennessee on the basketball court. Tennessee leads the all-time series, 41-6. The Commodores are 0-4 under Melanie Balcomb against Tennessee. Vanderbilt last defeated Tennessee during the 2001-02 season when VU won 76-59 in Nashville. Tennessee has won six straight games against the Commodores. Last time against Tennessee, Tasha Butts scored 37 points and No. 3 Tennessee shot 57.6 percent in the game including 55 percent from three-point range as the Lady Vols rallied from a 42-36 halftime deficit to defeat Vanderbilt, 94-88, in Memorial Gymnasium. Hillary Hager led four Vanderbilt players in double figures with 23 points while Carla Thomas added 17 points and Dee Davis posted 15 points and seven assists. Vanderbilt used a 19-2 run to open a 42-36 halftime lead, but Tennessee outscored VU, 58-46 in the second half while shooting 74.1 percent in the second half. Tickets still remain for Sunday’s game and are $17. Tickets can be purchased at the door Sunday. Up, next Vanderbilt hits the road for its second SEC road test when the Commodores travel to Ole Miss Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Oxford, Miss. |
