MBB: ‘Dores Travel to South Carolina

Feb. 27, 2007

COMMODORE GAMEDAY

VUEYEING TWENTY Vanderbilt can secure its 15th 20-win season Wednesday with a victory at South Carolina. It would mark the Commodores’ third 20-win season under eighth-year head coach Kevin Stallings. Only Roy Skinner (1959, 1962-76) has led Vanderbilt to more 20-win campaigns with six. TALL TASK South Carolina’s Brandon Wallace is close to averaging a double-double on the season. The 6-9 center is averaging 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds. He ranks second in the SEC with 2.81 blocks per game this season and leads USC with 37 steals on the year. GAMEDAY CENTRAL Vanderbilt at South Carolina Feb. 28 – 6:30 p.m. CT The Colonial Center Game Notes: View TV: None Local Radio: 104.5 FM Online Radio: Yahoo Sirius Radio: Channel 107 USC Live Stats: Next Home Game: 3/3 vs. Arkansas

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The 19th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores (19-9, 9-5 Southeastern Conference) play their final SEC road game of regular season when they battle South Carolina (14-13, 4-10 SEC) Wednesday at the Colonial Center. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. CT. The contest will not be televised.

Vanderbilt can lock up the Eastern Division No. 2 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament with a victory over the Gamecocks. A win Wednesday would make Commodore head coach Kevin Stallings only the second coach in Vanderbilt history to register three or more 20-win seasons (Roy Skinner – six 20-win campaigns). Stallings’ 2003-04 squad went 23-10 en route to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament. His 2004-05 unit went 20-14 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT.

The Commodores are coming off a thrilling come-from-behind 67-65 victory over Kentucky on Sunday. SEC Player of the Year candidate Derrick Byars scored 21 of his game-high 26 points in the second half to lead Vanderbilt back from a 10-point second-half deficit. Byars rebounded his own missed free throw attempted and hit a floater with 26 seconds remaining to give the Commodores their first lead of the contest.

South Carolina has won two of its last three games after defeating Ole Miss 76-63 on Saturday. Tre’ Kelley led the Gamecocks with 28 points and six assists. Vanderbilt defeated South Carolina 78-68 at Memorial Gymnasium on Feb. 14.