Nov. 18, 2008
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The 12th-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team opens a busy week on Wednesday, Nov. 19, when Eastern Kentucky visits Memorial Gymnasium for a 7 p.m. CT tip.
The Commodores (2-0) notched a pair of wins to start the 2008-09 season last weekend. Vanderbilt defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 85-51, on Friday in Nashville before traveling to Bowling Green, Ky., and beating Western Kentucky, 90-72.
Forward Christina Wirth led a potent Commodore offense, averaging 17.5 points in the first two games of her senior campaign. A first-team preseason All-Southeastern Conference selection, Wirth tied her career high with 24 points in Sunday’s win over the Lady Toppers.
Forward Hannah Tuomi and guard Merideth Marsh also scored in double-figures in both contests. A sophomore from Thornton, Colo., Tuomi poured in a career-high 19 points at Western and connected on 68 percent of her shots for the weekend (15-of-22). Marsh, a 5-6 junior from Louisville, Ky., hit 8-of-17 3-pointers to average 14 points per game.
Eastern Kentucky comes to Nashville with a 2-0 record. The Lady Colonels defeated Ohio Valley and Chicago State last weekend, notching an average margin of victory of 20.0 points.
Vanderbilt has won all four of the previous matchups between the two schools in a series that has not been played since 2001. Commodore Head Coach Melanie Balcomb faced the Lady Colonels twice in her seven-year tenure at Xavier, notching a pair of wins in 1998 and 1999.
EKU is led by freshman guard Kayla Drake. The Kokomo, Ind., native is averaging 23.5 points in the first two games of her collegiate career.
Following Wednesday’s game, Vanderbilt hits the road for a two-game swing. The Commodores will face East Tennessee State on Friday night (Nov. 21) for the Lady Bucs’ home opener in Johnson City, Tenn. Vanderbilt will then head up to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on the Wolverines this Sunday, Nov. 23.