Nov. 10, 2011
The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team opens its 2011-12 campaign on Friday, November 11, when they host Alabama A&M. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium.
Scouting the Commodores
Vanderbilt enters the season having won at least 20 games and made the NCAA Tournament in each of its last 12 seasons. 10th year Head Coach Melanie Balcomb has maintained a winning tradition at Vanderbilt and returns three starters from a season ago as she looks to maintain that standard. The Commodores are led by a pair of Preseason All-SEC selections in junior forward Tiffany Clarke and redshirt sophomore center Stephanie Holzer. Clarke came on strong during the second half of last season, averaging 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds over her final 12 games and making the SEC’s All-Tournament Team. Holzer was Honorable Mention All-SEC a year ago, while also taking home SEC Sixth Woman of the Year honors. She averaged 11.1 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds. Vanderbilt also returns its leading scorer in sophomore guard Jasmine Lister. Lister posted 11.8 points per game while adding 3.2 assists per game.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Alabama A&M was picked to finish fifth in the Southwest Athletic Conference by the league’s coaches, while receiving two first place votes. Junior guard Whiquitta Tobar was named Co-Preseason Player of the Year, while junior center Gabrielle Williams earned second team Preseason All-SWAC honors. Altherias Warmley is in her 10th season as head coach at Alabama A&M and led her team to a 15-14 mark last year, going 11-7 in SWAC play. Tobar led the team in points (18.1 ppg), rebounds (6.2 rpg) and assists (87). The Bulldogs defeated Martin Methodist in their lone exhibition game, 91-71. Tobar led the way with 21 points, while Shundray Davis, a transfer from Gadsen, posted 14 points.
Commodores vs. Alabama A&M – The Series
Vanderbilt and Alabama A&M have met once, with the Commodores taking an 80-29 win in Nashville in the 2005-06 season. In the meeting at Memorial Gym, Vanderbilt jumped out to an 18-0 lead and did not allow the Bulldogs a point for over 10 minutes to open the contest.
Vanderbilt vs. The SWAC
The Commodores have posted a 6-1 mark against the SWAC. The last meeting against a SWAC opponent was the victory over Alabama A&M in 2005-06. Before that, Vanderbilt had not played a SWAC team since the 1993-94 season, when they defeated Texas Southern, 103-44, at Memorial Gym in the regular season, then took down Grambling, 95-85, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, also at Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt first played the SWAC in 1985-86. The Commodores traveled to Baton Rouge, La., to take on Southern, falling to the Jaguars in their only loss to a SWAC team. That same year they traveled to Mississippi Valley State and defeated the Delta Devils. Both teams traveled to Nashville the following season, with the Commodores taking a pair of wins.
Just For Starters
The Commodores have won their last five-straight season openers, as well as eight of nine under Head Coach Melanie Balcomb. Last season, Vanderbilt downed Howard, 80-55, in the opener at Memorial Gym. The only defeat under Balcomb came to start the 2005-06 season, when Vandy fell at Arizona State, 69-60, in the WBCA/BTI Classic. All-time, Vanderbilt is 28-6 in season-opening contests.