Feb. 25, 2015
Teams: Auburn (10-17, 1-13) at Vanderbilt (14-13, 5-9)
Day, Date: Thursday, Feb. 26
Tip-off time: 8 p.m. (CT)
Site: Memorial Gym (Nashville, Tenn.)
Radio: 560 AM & 95.9 FM
TV: Fox Sports South
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased by calling 615-322-GOLD, visiting the McGugin Center ticket office or logging on to vucommodores.com.
Although the Vanderbilt women will be playing their final home game of the season on Thursday night against Auburn, the sentimental significance of the game isn’t likely to be a big factor for the Commodores (14-12, 5-8). Instead, their focus will be on the postseason implications that the contest carries. Vanderbilt — which suffered a 54-51 home loss to Missouri on Sunday and is now in a three-way tie for ninth place in the conference — is looking to boost its seeding position for the upcoming SEC tournament. Under the SEC’s tie-breaking formula, the Commodores are currently positioned as the No. 11 seed for the tournament, but they can potentially climb several notches by beating the last-place Tigers (10-17, 1-13), who earned their first conference win last Sunday by downing Georgia by the stunning score of 44-26 in Athens. (The 26 points by UGA were the fewest ever scored in an SEC game). Vanderbilt needs to move up at least one spot to avoid having to play in the SEC tournament’s play-in game, which features the bottom four teams — seeds 11 through 14 — in the conference. Auburn is already locked into the play-in round, but could move out of the SEC cellar with a win over Vanderbilt and a victory over 13th-place Alabama in the regular-season finale on Sunday. The Commodores own a 28-17 all-time record against Auburn, and had won 21 consecutive games in the series before suffering a home loss to the Tigers last season. Here’s a look at a few other storylines surrounding Thursday’s game at Memorial Gym.
l FACING THE GIANTS: The Commodores’ strength of schedule is ranked No. 2 in the nation (according to RPIratings.com), and it’s not hard to see why. Vanderbilt has played eight ranked opponents this season, including four teams — UConn, Texas A&M, Tennessee and South Carolina — that were ranked among the Top-10 when they faced the Commodores. Six of the eight ranked teams that Vanderbilt has faced can be still found in this week’s Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. This list includes: No. 2/2 South Carolina, No. 6/6 Tennessee, No. 11/13 Mississippi State, No. 12/12 Texas A&M and No. 13/15 Kentucky. Taking it a step further, the Commodores have faced six of the nation’s Top-15 teams in the RPI — No. 2 Tennessee, No. 4 South Carolina, No. 5 UConn, No. 10 Arizona State, No. 14 Dayton and No. 15 Kentucky. Although Vanderbilt owns a 1-7 record against ranked opponents — with the victory being a 78-62 rout over previously-unbeaten Mississippi State on Jan. 19 — the Commodores have defeated five teams that are ranked among the Top-40 in RPI. The list includes wins over No. 23 James Madison, No. 26 Green Bay, No. 32 Mississippi State, No. 37 Minnesota and No. 40 Arkansas. (Note: RPI rankings in the above stats are according to NCAA.com).
l THE TRADITION CONTINUES: Since the arrival of head coach Melanie Balcomb, the Commodores have finished among the top-20 nationally in field goal percentage in 11 of the past 12 seasons — and they’re on pace to do it again. Vanderbilt is shooting 45.4 percent from the floor this season, which ranks 13th in the country and second in the SEC (through Feb. 24). Sophomore Marqu’es Webb is shooting a team-high 58.0 percent, and four of her teammates are also above 50 percent: Heather Bowe (54.2), Morgan Batey (52.2), Kristen Gaffney (50.5) and Rayte’a Long. All five players have seen action in 20 or more games. The Commodores have ranked among the top 10 teams in the nation on field goal percentage six times during the Balcomb era, including leading the country at 51.3 percent in 2002-03.
lDOES SHE EVER MISS?: Marqu’es Webb is shooting 58 percent from the floor this season — and in the last three games, she’s done even better than that. The sophomore post player is shooting 66.7 percent (12-of-18) during that three-game stretch, while averaging 10 points per game. But to truly understand her importantance to the team, consider this: In the five games this season in which she has logged 25 minutes or more of playing time, Webb is averaging 12.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 63.6 percent (21-of-33) from the floor. Webb has posted double-doubles in three of those games. Webb, who missed four games with an injury in December, has seen her playing time limited to 15 minutes or less in seven other games due to nagging injuries.
lSCOUTING AUBURN: Auburn’s top player is junior post player Tra’cee Turner, who leads the Tigers in scoring (11.7 ppg) and rebounds (6.0 rpg). She ranks 14th in the SEC in scoring and 20th in rebounding. Tanner has posted five double-doubles this season … Sophomore guard Brandy Montgomery is also averaging in double figures in scoring at 11.1 per game, and has scored 20 or more points in five games. … Auburn has struggled on offense throughout the season, and is ranked last (14th) in the SEC in scoring at 56.2 points per game. The Tigers rank ninth in field goal percentage (39.6), 12th in 3-point percentage (25.9) and last in free throw percentage (59.7). …. Auburn’s defense, however, has been solid, with the Tigers ranking fourth in the conference in points allowed (55.1 per game), third in blocked shots (4.5 bpg) and fourth in steals (105. spg). Auburn is seventh in field goal percentage defense (36.8) and fourth in 3-point percentage defense (26.9). … The Tigers rank 13th in the SEC in rebounding (36.6 rpg) and 12th in rebounding margin (+0.5).
lSIZING UP THE SERIES: Thursday’s game marks the 46th all-time meeting between Vanderbilt and Auburn, with the Commodores owning a 28-17 lead into the series. Vanderbilt had won 21 consecutive games (spanning 14 years) in the series before falling to the Tigers 68-62 on Feb. 13 of last season at Memorial Gym. That game came less than five weeks after the Commodores had downed the Tigers, 74-65, at Auburn on Jan. 9. … Vanderbilt is 13-6 all-time against Auburn at Memorial Gym. … Head coach Melanie Balcomb is 18-1 against the Tigers since arriving at Vanderbilt, including 9-1 against them in Nashville. … The series dates back to the 1977-78 season, which was Vanderbilt’s first official season of WBB.
lUPDATE ON THE TIGERS: The Tigers have endured a tough season, but they made history on Sunday when they ended a 14-game losing streak with a stunning 44-26 win over Georgia. The 26 points allowed by Auburn were the fewest ever surrendered in an SEC game in the conference’s history, and also marked the lowest output in UGA’s history. … The win at Georgia was the Tigers’ first victory since they defeated FIU on Dec. 29.
lLOOKING BACK: Vanderbilt and Auburn split a pair of meetings last season, with each team winning on the opponents’ home court. The victory by Auburn ended Vanderbilt’s 21-game winning streak in the series … In the first meeting between the teams last season, former Vanderbilt stars Christina Foggie and Jasmine Lister helped lead the Commodores to a 74-65 win on Jan. 9 in Auburn. Foggie scored a game-high 26 points, and Lister notched a double-double with 23 points and 10 assists. Foggie went 6-of-11 from 3-point range for the Commodores, who used a 17-2 run late in the first half to build a 43-30 lead at the break, and then maintained a double-digit lead until the final 90 seconds. Auburn made it interesting by cutting Vanderbilt’s lead to 70-63 with less than a minute to play, but Lister hit four straight free throws to help Vanderbilt hang on. Kady Schrann scored a season-high 14 points, and Morgan Batey had nine rebounds. …. When the teams met again in Nashville on Feb. 13, Auburn closed the game on a 6-0 over the final 39 seconds to beat the Commodores, 68-62, at Memorial Gym. Foggie scored 23 of her game-high 24 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough for Vanderbilt to prevent Auburn from earning their first win over the Commodores. Brandy Montgomery finished with 13 points for the Tigers since Jan. 16, 2000. Vanderbilt trailed 29-21 at the half and was down 52-47 with 7:30 to play before the Commodores put together a 6-0 run to take their first lead of the second half, 53-52, on a pair of free throws by Morgan Batey with 5:48 to go. The teams then traded clutch baskets for the next five minutes, with six lead changes and three ties in that stretch, while playing to a 62-62 tie with under a minute to go. But Auburn made the big plays in the final 30 seconds to grab the win.
lMOST RECENT GAME: VU SUFFERS HOME LOSS TO MIZZOU: Trailing by 10 points at the half, the Commodores saw a second-half comeback bid fall short in a 54-51 loss to Missouri on Sunday at Memorial Gym. With Missouri nursing a one-point lead in the game’s final minute, the Tigers pulled down three offensive rebounds — two after missed 3-pointers and another after a missed free throw — to extend the possession. The pivotal sequence enabled the Tigers to burn more than 30 seconds off the clock, and they ultimately escaped with the victory over when Rebekah Dahlman missed a heavily contested 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Tigers, who came into the game averaging an SEC-leading 7.4 three-pointers per game, went 8-of-25 from 3-point range in the win, and Missouri’s Jordan Frericks finished with a game-high 15 points and eight rebounds. Vanderbilt’s Marqu’es Webb finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds, but she was lone player to reach double figures in scoring for the Commodores, who suffered the loss despite winningthe rebounding battle, 34-26.
lDAHLMAN HEATING UP: As they look to put together a late-season surge, the Commodores need someone to emerge as the go-to player — and Rebekah Dahlman appears to have accepted the role. Although she was limited to eight points in Sunday’s loss to Missouri, she pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. She scored a team-high 18 points in last Thursday’s win at Florida, hitting a season-high five 3-pointers while playing all 45 minutes of the overtime contest. Dahlman is averaging 14.7 points per game over the past four games, and is shooting 58 percent (11-of-19) from 3-point range in that stretch. Her emergence in recent games is a crucial development for the young Commodores, who have no seniors on the roster. Last season, Vanderbilt had two unquestioned leaders — seniors Christina Foggie and Jasmine Lister — who combined for 45.7 percent of the team’s scoring and accounted for 80.1 percent of the team’s 3-pointers. (Foggie and Lister scored 1,015 of VU’s 2,218 total points, and produced 133 of Vanderbilt’s 166 three-pointers). Through 26 games this season, a total of nine players — among the 13 on the roster — have either led the team in scoring or tied for game-high honors.
lGOING AWAY FROM THE 3S: The Commodores connected for a season-high eight 3-pointers during last Thursday’s overtime victory against Florida, but the hot shooting didn’t carry over into Sunday’s game, when Vanderbilt finished just 2-of-7 from 3-point range. The Commodores, traditionally one of best outside shooting teams in the conference, are averaging only 3.3 three-pointers per game in SEC play this season, which ranks 11th in the conference. Vanderbilt has attempted nine or fewer 3-pointers in seven SEC games, including four games in which they attempted five or fewer.
lIN THE UPPER HALF: As the SEC teams continue to battle for seeding for the upcoming SEC Tournament, the Commodores will be looking to add to their tradition of high finishes. Although Vanderbilt has never won an SEC regular-season title, the Commodores have finished sixth place or higher in 26 of the past 33 years, and has never finished lower than tied for eighth. Vanderbilt enters Sunday’s game in a four-way tie for seventh place, and is currently positioned as the No. 7 seed for the SEC tournament under the SEC tie-breaking formula. … The Commodores have finished second in the conference five times (2009, 2002, 1995, 1994 and 1993) and have also earned five third-place finishes (2011, 2008, 2007, 2005 and 1996) and six fourth-place finishes (2004, 2001, 1998, 1992, 1989 and 1983). … Vanderbilt carried a No. 8 seed into last year’s tournament after finishing in seventh place in 2013 and 2012.
l‘DOZEN’ IT FEEL GREAT? With March Madness around the corner, it’s certainly worth noting that head coach Melanie Balcomb has led the Commodores to the NCAA Tournament in each of her 12 seasons since arriving at Vanderbilt. She is one of only six coaches to have done so each year during that span. The others are: Geno Auriemma (Connecticut), Tara VanDerveer (Stanford), Joanne P. McCallie (Mich. State/Duke), Muffet McGraw (Notre Dame) and Andy Landers (Georgia). Overall, the Commodores have made the NCAA tournament in each of the past 15 seasons and 25 of the past 26. They have made 26 total appearances, which ranks third among the SEC teams behind only Tennessee and Georgia.
lINJURY REPORT: Redshirt sophomore Kendall Shaw and true freshmen Christa Reed and Khaléann Caron-Goudreau have each been sidelined by injuries over the past six weeks, which continues a season-long theme for the Commodores. Only twice in the first 25 games has head coach Melanie Balcomb had the luxury of having all 13 of her players available for action (the two games were against Tennessee and LSU). Overall, a total of seven Vanderbilt players — more than half the roster — have missed time due to injuries, illness or other reasons. Khaléann Caron-Goudreau sat out the first 12 games while recovering from an ankle injury and has now missed the past 12 games while dealing with a back injury. Reed and Shaw have both been sidelined the past 11 games with ankle injuries. Others who have missed multiple games include junior Heather Bowe (who was unavailable for the first eight games while serving a suspension for violation of academic policy), sophomore Marqu’es Webb (who missed four games in December with a knee injury) and Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau (who missed three games in December after sustaining a concussion in practice and then sat out the game against Florida due to illness). Freshman Rachel Bell and redshirt sophomore Kristen Gaffney have missed one game each with illness.
lSTARTING TO SETTLE IN: The Vanderbilt starting lineup was in flux for the first half of the season — with eight different combinations used in the first 14 games — but the changes have slowed down over the past few weeks, and head coach Melanie Balcomb has used only two combinations for the past 13 games. Morgan Batey, Heather Bowe, Rebekah Dahlman, Jasmine Jenkins and Marqu’es Webb have started the past six games. Before that, Dahlman, Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau, Jenkins, Bowe and Batey had formed the starting five for seven straight games, which represented the longest stretch of the season in which the same group was used. All told, 10 of the 13 players on the Vanderbilt roster have seen their names in the starting lineup in various games this season. Morgan Batey is the lone Commodore to start all 25 games. Here’s a quick look at who’s been used in starting lineup: Batey (25 games), Rebekah Dahlman (23), Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau (16), Jasmine Jenkins (16) Heather Bowe (15), Marqu’es Webb (11), Paris Kea (6), Kristen Gaffney (5), Rachel Bell (4) and Christa Reed (4).
lTHREE IN DOUBLE-DIGITS: In Thursday’s overtime win against Florida, the Commodores had three double-digit scorers — Rebekah Dahlman (18 points), Morgan Batey (17) and Rachel Bell (15) — which marked the fifth consecutive contest in which three Vanderbilt players have scored 10 points or more. Prior to the recent five-game stretch, the Commodores had two players or fewer reach double figures in seven of their first eight SEC games. For the season, Vanderbilt is just 4-8 when two or fewer reach the mark.