Commodores Play Host To Crimson Tide On Senior Night

Commodores Play Host To Crimson Tide On Senior Night

2/23/2005  

Seniors Ashley Earley and Abi Ramsey will play their final home game for No. 19 Vanderbilt when the Commodores host Alabama Thursday night at 7 p.m. on Senior night at Memorial Gymnasium. The two seniors will be honored in a presentation after the game.

The final home game in 2004-05 for the Commodores is the last Give Back Thursday. Thursday’s home game with Alabama will benefit the Charles Davis Book Drive. Any fan who donates one children’s book at the game will receive one free admission ticket.

Vanderbilt has won six of its last seven games. The Commodores went 2-0 last week after routing Arkansas, 7843, at home and picking up a road win over Florida, 76-69. Sophomore Carla Thomas had a good week for the Commodores as Thomas averaged 23 points and 7.5 rebounds. She also had six blocks.  Senior forward Ashley Earley averaged 18 points and 10.5 rebounds on the week. She recorded her 10th and 11th double-doubles respectively. Earley and Thomas combined for 38 points and 19 rebounds against Arkansas and 44 points against Florida. Against Arkansas, Thomas scored a game-high 23 points while Earley added 15 points and 11 boards. Against Florida, Thomas scored 23 points while Earley chipped in 21 points and 10 rebounds. Vandy has been playing well as a team in the last seven games. VU is shooting 50.7 percent from the field. Earley has been averaging 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds. Thomas has been scoring 18.4 points and Abi Ramsey has been chipping 14.6 points. Ramsey needs just 14 points to become the 25th player in VU history to score 1,000 points. 

SCOUTING the ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama (13-12, 4-8 SEC) looks to snap a four-game losing streak when it travels to Nashville Thursday. The Crimson Tide have dropped games to Arkansas, Ole Miss, Auburn and South Carolina. Against South Carolina, Natasha Gamble scored 12 points and Monique Bivins has 11 points, but Alabama shot just 37.3 percent as the Crimson Tide fell on the road, 66-57. Bivins averages 10.8 points while Gamble chips in 10.5 points. Marverly Nettles comes off the bench to lead Alabama averaging 12.2 points. Dee Merriweather is the team’s leading rebounder (7.3 rbg). She also ranks fourth in the SEC in blocked shots (47). As a team, Alabama is scoring 67.4 ppg and shoots .385.

THE ALABAMA SERIES
This will be the 29th meeting between Vanderbilt and Alabama on the basketball court. Vanderbilt leads the all-time series, 17-11. The Commodores are 1-1 under Melanie Balcomb against Alabama. The Crimson Tide won the last meeting last season in Tuscaloosa, 81-68.

LAST TIME AT ALABAMA
Carla Thomas scored a team-high 16 points to lead four Commodores in double figures, but Vanderbilt committed 23 turnovers as Alabama upset VU, 81-68, in Coleman Coliseum. The Commodores shot 61.1 percent in the first half, but trailed 36-34 at the half. Monique Bivins led Alabama with a game-high 23 points. Kate Mastin added 18 points. Alabama hit 10 three-pointers in the game, the second most allowed by the Commodores in a game last season.

UP NEXT FOR THE COMMODORES
Vandy hits the road for Athens, Ga., to end its regular season with No. 18 Georgia. Tip-off has been moved to 2 p.m. (EST)/1 p.m. (CST) to accomodate ESPN2, which will carry the game.