Jan. 11, 2011
The Vanderbilt Commodores take to the Memorial Gym hardwood for their 77th SEC home opener when they welcome the #24-ranked Georgia Bulldogs for a 7 p.m. CT tip-off. The game can be heard on the Vanderbilt Sports Network from IMG College and vucommodores.com.
The game will also be televised by the SEC Network, with Dave Neal and Mark Gottfried handling the play-by-play and color duties.
Series Info: The Commodores lead the all-time series, 83-48, and 51-13 in games played in Nashville.
Last Meeting: Vanderbilt defeated Georgia, 78-66, in the quarterfinals of the 2010 SEC Tournament.
Head Coaches: Kevin Stallings is in his 12th year at Vanderbilt (224-140) and his 18th overall (346-203). Mark Fox is in his second year at Georgia (26-19) and sixth year overall (149-62).
Radio: Vanderbilt Sports Network from IMG College (WRQQ – 97.1 FM); vucommodores.com
Play-by-Play: Joe Fisher (13th year); Color: Tim Thompson (10th year)
TV: SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Dave Neal; Color: Mark Gottfried
Live Stats, Audio, Video, and Twitter Feed
About Georgia
Georgia is 12-2 on the season and 1-0 in SEC play after knocking off Kentucky at home on Saturday, 77-70, and are currently ranked #24 in the new Associated Press poll. Trey Thompkins led four players in double figures with 25 points. The preseason all-SEC-selection Thompkins leads all Georgia scorers with 18.1 points per game.
Travis Leslie also averages double-figures with 13.9 points per game, while Nashville native Gerald Robinson adds 12.9 points a game.
The Georgia Series
Vanderbilt will meet for the 132nd time Wednesday night, with Vanderbilt holding an 83-48 advantage in the series. The last meeting between the two schools came last year at the Bridgestone Arena in the quarterfinals of the 2010 SEC Tournament. The Commodores won that game, 78-66.
Vanderbilt leads the series, and owns a 51-13 advantage in Nashville. Georgia leads the series 32-26 in Athens, and the Commodores enjoy a 6-3 lead at neutral sites.
Stallings Versus Georgia
Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings is 13-10 in games played against Georgia, and a 9-2 mark against the Bulldogs at Memorial Gym.
Stallings in SEC Play
Entering his 12th season of SEC play at the helm of the Commodores, Kevin Stallings has an 84-93 record in SEC play. In 2009-10, Stallings posted his best SEC record as a coach with a 12-4 mark.
Stallings In Non-Conference Play
Kevin Stallings is 140-47 in non-confernce games and an astounding 103-8 in home non-conference games.
Vanderbilt In SEC Openers At Memorial
Wednesday night will be the 59th SEC opener for the Commodores at Memorial Gym, and Vanderbilt owns a 46-12 record in the previous 58 openers. The Commodores are an inaugural member of the Southeastern Conference, and are in their 77th season in the league.
Vanderbilt Vs. The SEC
Vanderbilt has a 628-626 record against teams that currently comprise the SEC.
Vanderbilt-Georgia Connections
The Bulldogs’ Gerald Robinson is from Nashville, graduated from Martin Luther King High School, and played at Tennessee State before transferring to Georgia.
Robinson played against the Commodores as a freshman in 2007-08 while at Tennessee State, and scored 24 points for the Tigers in a game VU won at Memorial Gym, 83-74, on December 22.
Vanderbilt-South Carolina Tidbits
Sophomore guard John Jenkins scored a game-high 27 points, but it was not enough as homestanding South Carolina came away with an 83-75 overtime win over the Commodores on Saturday afternoon in the SEC opener for both teams. Vanderbilt never trailed in regulation, but were outscored 11-3 in overtime by the Gamecocks.
– South Carolina now leads the career series, 24-23, and 12-9 in games played in Columbia.
– Head coach Kevin Stallings is now 6-6 in SEC openers.
– Vanderbilt is now 0-2 in its two overtime games in 2010-11.
– Vanderbilt led by seven at the half, 37-30. It was the first time in nine tries this season that the Commodores have lost a game after leading at the half.
– The Gamecocks outrebounded Vanderbilt, 48-41, including 19-14 in offensive rebounds. South Carolina outscored VU in second-chance points, 24-13. Vanderbilt is now 3-2 when outrebounded by its opponent. The Commodores outrebounded South Carolina 21-17 in the first half.
– South Carolina made 10-of-27 threes, the most made threes against the Commodores this season. Grambling made nine threes against VU on November 24. It was only the second time this year a team has made more threes in a game than Vanderbilt (Vanderbilt was 7-of-20).
– John Jenkins made a three-point basket at the 11:18 mark of the first half, which extended Vanderbilt’s consecutive games streak with a three-pointer to 776 games.
– Vanderbilt was 18-for-24 from the free-throw line, while South Carolina was 7-of-12.
– Ties: 2; Lead changes: 1
– VU largest lead: 14 (2nd half, 14:39)
– South Carolina outscored Vanderbilt, 40-30, in the paint, 9-8 in points off of turnovers, and 26-14 in bench points. The teams tied with six points apiece on fast-break points.
Player Notes
– John Jenkins led the team with 27 points, and made 6-of-10 three-point attempts. The 27-point effort tied for the team-best this season (Jenkins scored 27 against West Virginia, Jeffery Taylor scored 27 against Presbyterian). The six made threes tied a career-high for threes made in a game (last time at Florida, 3/2/10).
– Lance Goulbourne grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds. It was also the team’s season-high this season.
– Jeffery Taylor scored 14 points, but was 4-of-16 from the floor. The 16 field goal attempts ties a career high he set at Missouri earlier this year.
– Brad Tinsley dished out five assists, the eighth time this season and 18th time of his career he has accomplished the feat.
– Steve Tchiengang scored 10 points, his fifth double-digit scoring game of the season and his career.