Feb. 25, 2012
Coleman Interview | 
Vandy Game Notes (vs. Alabama) | Alabama Game Notes
The No. 24 Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball team plays host to Alabama on Sunday, February 26, at Memorial Gym. Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m. CT and the game can be seen on CSS, as well as on ESPN3.com in non-SEC states.
The game serves as Senior Day for Vanderbilt. Senior Jordan Coleman and the team’s four senior managers (Julie Carli, Rachel Hervatin, Ian Simoy and Jeana Thompson) following the game. In keeping with tradition, Coleman has selected the game to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer research.
Scouting The Commodores
No. 24 Vanderbilt will look to conclude its regular season on a winning note when it hosts host Alabama. The Commodores are coming off a tough 69-66 loss at LSU on Thursday night. Sophomore guard Christina Foggie will look to wrap up the SEC scoring title, as she leads the league with 17.9 points per game. Three other Commodores join her in averaging at least 11.0 points per contest – Jasmine Lister (12.0 ppg), Tiffany Clarke (11.9 ppg) and Stephanie Holzer (11.0 ppg). Clarke is the team’s leading rebounder at 7.5 per contest, a total that ranks fourth in the league. In SEC play, the junior forward has averaged 13.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, totals that are fifth and fourth in the conference, respectively. Lister runs the point and is averaging and SEC-best 5.4 assists per contest. As a team, Vanderbilt is fifth in the nation in field goal percentage (47.3%) and third in the country in three-point percentage (38.6%)
Scouting The Crimson Tide
Alabama travels to Music City having lost two-straight since their 77-75 upset of then-No. 7 Kentucky on February 16. The Tide most recently fell at rival Auburn on Thursday, 81-40. Jasmine Robinson leads the team in scoring at 11.2 points per game, followed closely by Meghan Perkins 9.6 points per contest. Perkins leads the team in rebounding at 5.4 per game. In SEC play, Robinson has been averaging a team-best 9.5 points per game, while Kyra Crosby has posted 9.0 point per game. Alabama gives up an SEC-high 64.4 points per game, while their opponent field goal percentage of 41.7% is 11th in the league.
Vanderbilt vs. Alabama – The Series
Sunday is the 39th meeting between Alabama and Vanderbilt, with the Commodores holding a 27-11 edge in the series. The first meeting came in 1977-78 and the Tide won six of the first eight contests. The Commodores have won the last 10 meetings in the series and 11 of 12 games since Melanie Balcomb took over as head coach. Last season, Vanderbilt took an 82-66 decision in Tuscaloosa. Stephanie Holzer is the top Commodore returner from that contest, as she had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Celiscia Farmer is the top Alabama returner from that game; she had 10 points.
On Deck
Vanderbilt will travel 2.4 miles down West End Ave. for the 2012 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville. The tournament begins on Thursday, March 1. With a victory over Alabama or a Florida loss at Tennessee, Vanderbilt would lock-up the number seven seed in the tournament and open versus the number 10 seed at 2:30 p.m. A Vanderbilt loss and Florida victory would make the Commodores the eight seed and they would open the tournament against the nine seed at Noon.