Commodores Ready To Take On Michigan State In NCAA Sweet Sixteen

Commodores Ready To Take On Michigan State In NCAA Sweet Sixteen

3/25/2005

No. 5 seed (#18 AP Poll/#18 ESPN Coaches Poll) Vanderbilt (24-7, 10-4 SEC) makes its second consecutive trip to the Sweet Sixteen when the Commodores head to Kansas City to take on No. 1 seed Michigan State (30-3) in the Regional semifinal.

The Commodores (24-7) picked up wins in the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament by knocking off No. 12 seed Montana and No. 4 seed Kansas State. Against Montana, Ashley Earley scored a game-high 21 points and Abi Ramsey finished with 13 pointers including three 3-pointers while the Commodore defense forced 17 turnovers as VU cruised to a 67-44 over the Lady Grizzlies in first round action. The Commodores committed a season-low five turnovers in the win.
 
Against Kansas State in second round, Vandy overcame an early eight-point deficit then held off a fierce Kansas State rally as the Commodores knocked off the Wildcats, 63-60, to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Sophomore forward Carla Thomas scored a team-high 18 points while Earley finished with 17 points and Dee Davis added 13 points. Abi Ramsey hit two three-pointers in the game giving her 85 made treys on the season which is a new Vanderbilt single season record. The Commodores join Michigan State, defending national champion UConn and Stanford in the Regional Semifinals in Kansas City. Earley averaged 19 points and 7.5 rebounds in two tournament games while Carla Thomas is averaging 13.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. As a team, the Commodores are allowing 52 points per game while averaging 65 points on offense.

Vanderbilt has won 11 of its last 13 games with the only two losses coming to Tennessee, 72-63, in Knoxville, Tenn. and, 76-73, in the semifinals at the SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C. The Commodores upset No. 4 seed Kansas State to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. In Vandy’s last 13 games, VU is shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from three-point range. Earley has averaged 18.5 points and 10.6 rebounds during the stretch. In four postseason games, VU is shooting 45.5 percent and 48.3 percent from 3-point range. Earley leads the team in scoring 19.0 points and grabbing 9.0 rebounds. Ramsey (11.8 ppg), Davis (11.5 ppg) and Thomas (11.5 ppg and 7.8 rbg) are the other players leading the postseason charged for the Commodores.
 
The winner of the game will face the winner of the game between No. 2 seed Stanford and No. 3 seed UConn in the regional final, Tuesday.