Nov. 14, 2015
Teams: Vanderbilt (0-0) vs. Mississippi Valley State (0-0)
Day, Date: Sunday, Nov. 15
Tip-off time: 2 p.m.
Site: Memorial Gym (Nashville, Tenn.)
Radio: 95.9 FM / 560 AM
TV/Online: SEC Network+ (online feed)
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased by calling 615-322-GOLD, visiting the McGugin Center ticket office or logging on to vucommodores.com.
With a few new names on the roster and several new items on the rulebook, the Vanderbilt women will open a new season Sunday, hosting Mississippi Valley State at 2 p.m. at Memorial Gym. The Commodores will be looking to set the tone for the 2015-16 campaign after enduring a rare losing season (15-16) last year and missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999. Mississippi Valley State has already played its regular-season opener, losing to Ole Miss 97-61 on Friday. Sunday’s contest will mark the regular-season debut for guard Minta Spears, who enrolled in graduate school at Vanderbilt this summer after playing two seasons (and having one redshirt season) at Texas Tech. Sunday’s game also marks the first time the Commodores will play a regular-season game with the new rules that have been implemented this season. For more on the new rules — which include a new four-quarter format and a change to the bonus-foul situations — click HERE. The Commodores were introduced to the new rules during the preseason, when the team held a closed scrimmage in late October and played an exhibition game last weekend. Here’s a closer look at Sunday’s game:
l Outstanding in openers: The Commodores enter Sunday’s game looking to continue a long-standing tradition: They have won 29 consecutive home openers, which dates back to the 1985 season when VU fell to Texas Tech, 74-69, in their first game of the season at Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt has won nine straight season openers overall (home or road) — a streak that dates back to a 69-60 road loss to Arizona State in their first game of the 2005-06 campaign.
l Dahlman earns SEC preseason honors: Vanderbilt redshirt sophomore Rebekah Dahlman was recently named to the preseason All-SEC Second Team, as voted by the conference’s coaches. Dahlman led the Commodores in scoring last season at 10.3 ppg and earned a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman team. She also led the team in minutes played (30.4 per game), 3-pointers (43) and free throws (71). She ranked second on the team in steals (36 total) and reached double figures in scoring in a team-high 14 games. Vanderbilt was projected for an 11th-place finish in the SEC by the conference’s coaches.
l Climbing aboard: The Vanderbilt WBB program took a step toward the future on Friday when the Commodores announced their six-member 2016 Signing Class. The group is rated among the best in the nation by multiple publications, including being ranked No. 6 by Blue Star Basketball, No. 9 by Prospects Nation and No. 17 by ESPN HoopGurlz. The talented cast includes five players — Chassity “LeaLea” Carter (Dickson County High / Dickson, Tenn.), Blessing Ejiofor (Paterson Eastside High / Ebonyi, Nigeria), Kayla Overbeck (Newbury Park High / Newbury Park, Calif.), Cierra Walker (Oregon City High / Oregon City, Ore.), and Erin Whalen (Providence Day School / Charlotte, N.C), — who are ranked among the Top-25 in the nation at their positions, along with Division II-AA Miss Basketball recipient Kaleigh Clemons (Baylor School / Chickamauga, Ga.). For on the signees, click HERE.
l Sneak preview: Spurred by Rachel Bell’s 28-point effort, the Commodores stormed to a 96-32 victory over Clayton State in last Saturday’s exhibition contest at Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt made 12-of-15 attempts from 3-point range and shot 65 percent from the floor overall to breeze to the win, Bell finished 11-of-15 from the floor, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. She also pulled down eight rebounds and had a pair of assists. Three other Vanderbilt players reached double figures, including Minta Spears and Christa Reed with 11 points each, and Morgan Batey with 10.
l Update on Mississippi State Valley State: The Delta Devils enter the 2015-16 season with hopes of rebounding from last season’s tough campaign, when they posted a 4-26 record and finished last in the nation (349th) in the RPI rankings. Mississippi Valley State, of the Southwestern Conference, went 0-17 in road games last season.
l Scouting the Devilettes: Mississippi Valley State returns its top two scorers from last season, Christina Reed and Ashley Beals, both of whom averaged double figures. Reed, a 5-10 junior guard, averaged 11.3 ppg last season, and Beals, a 6-0 junior forward, scored 10.9 ppg. Reed and Beals also ranked first and second on the team in rebounding at 6.8 and 6.6, respectively.
l Sizing up the Series: Vanderbilt owns a 3-0 lead in the series, including posting a 63-37 victory over the Delta Devils last season. (More on that game below). Prior to last season, the teams hadn’t faced each other since the 1986-87 season, when Vanderbilt won 101-70 at Memorial Gym. The previous season, in the first-ever meeting between the teams, the Commodores posted a 77-63 win in Itta Bena, Miss.
l Looking back to last year: Fueled by Morgan Batey’s double-double, the Commodores posted a 63-37 win over Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 3 of last season. Batey finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Rachel Bell added 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and Kristen Gaffney finished with four points and 10 rebounds. The Commodores used their decisive height advantage to dominate the low post, outscoring the Devilettes 34-8 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle, 40-26. Vanderbilt played the game without sophomore star Marqu’es Webb, who was sidelined by knee injury. But Gaffney and Batey stepped up in her absence, combining for 20 of Vanderbilt’s 40 rebounds. Batey finished 7-of-11 from the floor.