Nov. 22, 2008
Live Audio | | Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt Commodores continue non-conference play with a game against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders Monday night at Memorial Gym. Tip time is set for 7 p.m.
The game can be seen live on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast, with Willy Daunic and Drew Maddux on the call. Joe Fisher and Tim Thompson will call the action for the Vanderbilt-ISP Radio Network.
The Commodores enter Monday evening’s contest with a 1-1 record after dropping a 69-63 decision to Illinois on Thursday night at Memorial Gym. The defeat at the hands of the Illini ended a 20-game home winning streak for Vanderbilt, a mark that stretched back to March of 2007.
Illinois took advantage of poor free-throw shooting by the Commodores (13-21, 61.9 percent), and outrebounded Vanderbilt, 42-33, including a 28-13 advantage in the second half. Meanwhile, the Illini were perfect from the charity stripe (11-for-11), and hit 10 3-pointers on 19 attempts, five of them by senior Demetri McCarney. Despite all of that, the Commodores had a chance to tie or win the game with 1:38 to play, but could not capitalize on numerous opportunities.
Vanderbilt was led by sophomore A.J. Ogilvy, who scored 13 points. Freshmen Jeffery Taylor and Brad Tinsley added 11 points, and sophomore forward Andre Walker scored 10 points in 23 minutes of action off of the bench. For the season, Taylor leads the Commodores in scoring (13.5 ppg) and rebounding (5.5), followed by Ogilvy (12.5) and Tinsley (11.5).
Vanderbilt and Middle Tennessee State will meet for the 30th time overall, and the 14th time in Nashville, although both teams have not faced each other since Dec. 23, 1995, when Vanderbilt emerged with a 70-56 win at Memorial Gym.
Monday’s matchup is the first of a five game agreement with the Blue Raiders – two more will be played at Memorial Gym, one will be played in Murfreesboro, and one will be played at the Sommet Center in the coming seasons. The Commodores are 13-0 against MTSU in Nashville, and 12-4 in games played in Murfreesboro.
Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings will face Middle Tennessee State for the first time on Monday night.
Middle Tennessee State enters with a 2-1 record after a 76-66 loss Friday night against Tennessee in Murfreesboro. Head coach Kermit Davis is in his seventh season at MTSU, and his 11th overall as a head coach. Demetrius Green, who played in his first game of the year against Tennessee, leads the Blue Raiders in scoring with 17.0 points per contest, while Kevin Kanaskie leads MTSU on the glass with 6.3 rebounds per game.
Vanderbilt is 51-14 all time against the Sun Belt Conference, and has a mark of 30-5 in Nashville. However, since Memorial Gym has been the home of the Commodores, Vanderbilt has a 29-0 record against the Sun Belt in home games.