Loading

No. 15 Vanderbilt Plays Host to No. 2 LSU

No. 15 Vanderbilt Plays Host to No. 2 LSU

1/22/2005

No. 15 Vanderbilt looks to snap a two-game losing streak when the Commodores host No. 2 LSU Sunday afternoon in Memorial Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be televised live on FSN South.

The first 1,000 fans will receive a Vanderbilt Foam Finger on free stuff Sunday. Fun for kids include entertainment by Dora the Explorer, an air brush artist and sign making station.

Vanderbilt (13-4, 2-2 SEC) is in the midst of a season-long two-game losing streak. The Commodores have dropped back-to-back games in SEC play to No. 7 Tennessee and Ole Miss. Ashley Earley scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season, but it wasn’t enough as Ole Miss held on to upset the 15th ranked Commodores, 66-60, in Oxford, Miss., last Thursday. Carla Thomas added 16 points. Vanderbilt was held scoreless in final 7:39 of the first half and committed 15 first-half turnovers while shooting a season-low 29.2 percent from the field.

Vanderbilt regrouped to erase a 19-point second-half deficit while shooting 54.8 percent from the floor. On the season, Earley continues to lead the team averaging 18.8 ppg and 8.9 rbg. She has scored in double figures in all 17 games. Thomas ranks second in the SEC in scoring in conference games averaging 20.5 ppg. Vanderbilt won both meetings with the Lady Tigers last season and hold an 8-2 record in games played in Memorial gym.

LSU (17-1, 4-0 SEC) enters the Southeastern Conference contest ranked No. 2 in both polls and undefeated in SEC play. The Lady Tigers cruised to a 91-45 win over Arkansas last Thursday at home. Seimone Augustus led the team with 16 points while Quianna Chaney and Sylvia Fowles each added 11 points. Senior guard Temeka Johnson added 10 assists and nine points. LSU shot 57.6 percent from the floor and forced Arkansas into 21 turnovers. On the season, Augustus leads the team and ranks second in scoring in the SEC (20.0 ppg). Johnson runs the Lady Tigers’ offense averaging 7.0 assists per contest. LSU’s lone loss came at Rutgers in overtime, 51-49.

This will be the 29th meeting between Vanderbilt and LSU on the basketball court. Vanderbilt leads the all-time series, 16-12. The Commodores are 3-2 under Melanie Balcomb against LSU. VU has won the last two meetings and nine out of the last 11 meetings.

Last time against LSU, Jenni Benningfield scored 20 points to lead four Vanderbilt players in double figures and Vanderbilt won its third game in as many days in the SEC Tournament last March as the Commodores defeated No. 15/14 LSU, 78-66. Abi Ramsey had 11 points and Hillary Hager and Ashley Earley each added 10 points. The Commodores shot 58.1 percent in the first half and led 45-30 at halftime. VU led by as many as 52-34 with 17:35. It was the second time Vanderbilt had defeated LSU. The Commodores won the regular season meeting in Baton Rouge last February, 61-55.

Up next, Vanderbilt hits the road for Lexington, Ky., Thursday to take on Kentucky. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CST) in Memorial Coliseum.