|
Commodores Travel To Starkville For Thursday Matchup With Miss. State
2/2/2005
Commodores Travel To Starkville For Thursday Matchup With Miss. State
No. 20 Vanderbilt hits the road for Starkville, Miss. to take on Mississippi State Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum. The game will be televised live at 8 p.m. on FSN South.
Vanderbilt (15-5, 4-3 SEC) won consecutive games last week snapping a three-game losing streak. The Commodores picked up wins at Kentucky and at home against Florida. Against Florida, senior guard Abi Ramsey set a new single-game record for three-pointers made with eight three-pointers and scored a career-high 30 points to lead the ‘Dores to an 84-73 win at home. The Commodores finished the game 13-of-23 from behind the arc. Against Kentucky, senior forward Ashley Earley and sophomore forward Carla Thomas combined for 46 points to lead the Commodores to a 73-67 road win at Kentucky. Earley, who has been named to the John R. Wooden List after a midseason report, recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Thomas added 22 points while Ramsey finished with 14 points. On the week, Ramsey led the team averaging 22 points per game going 14-of-24 from the field including 10-of-20 from three-point range. Earley averaged 18.5 ppg and 9.0 boards per game while Thomas averaged 18 points per game last week. Vanderbilt shot 53.8 percent from the floor in the two wins and made 18 three-pointers. On the season, Earley continues to lead the team averaging 18.5 ppg and 8.8 rbg.
Scouting the MISSISSIPPI STATE LADY BULLDOGS
Mississippi State (14-6, 3-4 SEC) fell at Alabama in its last outing and look to snap a three-game losing streak. The Lady Bulldogs have dropped consecutive games to Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama. Against Alabama, senior guard Tan White scored 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds, but Miss. State shot just 36.5 percent from the field as Alabama went on to a 72-61 win. Rebecca Kates and Doceide Warren each scored 10 points. White is the leading scorer in the Southeastern Conference averaging 22.6 points and 7.7 rebounds to lead State. Tiania Burns is the Lady Bulldogs’ other leading scorer averaging 10.8 points. Miss. State shoots 38 percent from three-point range led by Ebonie Ferguson, Kates and White who all have more than 30 three-pointers.
THE MSU SERIES
This will be the 37th meeting between Vanderbilt and Mississippi State on the basketball court. The Commodores lead the all-time series, 25-11. The Commodores are 1-1 under Melanie Balcomb against Mississippi State. Vanderbilt won last season’s meeting in Nashville, 87-64. VU has won eight of the last 11 meetings, but loss the last meeting in Starkville, 78-75.
LAST TIME AGAINST MISS. STATE
Jenni Benningfield and Hillary Hager combined for 35 points and 13 rebounds to complete their Memorial Gym careers in high style as the Commodores won on senior night in Nashville, 87-64. Ashley Earley and Abi Ramsey both totaled 19 points each to tie Benningfield for the team-high. On the evening, Vanderbilt dominated the boards by a 58 to 26 margin, including 27 offensive rebounds, and dished 20 assists, while holding MSU to just 37.9 percent shooting from the floor.
UP NEXT FOR THE COMMODORES
Vanderbilt has a week off before returning home to host Auburn next Thursday. The game will be televised live on CSS at 8 p.m. The Commodores won the first meeting this season, 73-67, in Auburn.
|
