Jan. 12, 2016
Teams: Vanderbilt (12-4, 1-2) vs. LSU (7-9, 1-2)
Day, Date: Thursday, Jan. 14
Tip-off time: 7 p.m.
Site: Memorial Gym (Nashville, Tenn.)
Radio: 560 AM / 95.9 FM
Viewing: SEC Network Plus (online)
Vanderbilt Game Notes: Vanderbilt Game Notes 
LSU Game Notes: LSU Game Notes
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased by calling 615-322-GOLD, visiting the McGugin Center ticket office or logging on to vucommodores.com.
With confidence rising and momentum building, the Vanderbilt women host LSU on Thursday night at 7 p.m. The Commodores (12-4, 1-2), who have posted an 11-2 record since Nov. 24, have played some of their best basketball of the season in the past two games. They earned their first SEC victory by posting a 54-48 road win over Alabama on Sunday afternoon and went toe-to-toe with No. 2-ranked South Carolina during last Thursday’s 71-61 loss in a game that featured 18 lead changes. As they head into Thursday’s game against LSU, the Commodores will have history on their side, having won five straight games against the Tigers at Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt has an all-time record of 13-3 against LSU at Memorial Gym. (The Tigers haven’t notched a win on VU’s home floor since the 2004-05 season). LSU — which beat Vanderbilt 64-44 last season in Baton Rouge — comes into Thursday’s game looking to rebound from Sunday’s 53-35 to No. 13 Texas A&M. Here’s a closer look at the game:
l Update on the Commodores: After a one-year hiatus, Vanderbilt’s perimeter attack is back in business this season. Fueled by the sharp-shooting of sophomore Christa Reed, the Commodores have made five or more 3-pointers in 14 of their 16 games. Reed is leading the SEC in 3-point accuracy at 44.2 percent, and as a team, the Commodores are shooting 37 percent from 3-point range, which ranks second in the SEC. They are averaging 16 attempts per game from behind the arc — a sizable increase from last season, when they averaged only 10.6 attempts per game. Vanderbilt attempted a total of just 330 shots from long range in 2014-15, compared to 415 attempts the previous season and 472 in 2012-13. During head coach Melanie Balcomb’s tenure, the Commodores have attempted 530 or more 3-pointers in four seasons, including a school-record 602 attempts in 2008-09.
l Impressive numbers: Vanderbilt has ranked among the nation’s Top-20 in field-goal percentage in 12 of the past 13 seasons since Balcomb’s arrival — and the Commodores are on pace to do so again. They are shooting 47.4 percent from the floor, which ranks 11th in the country (through Jan. 11) and No. 1 in the SEC. … Vanderbilt is also ranked 20th in the nation, and second in the SEC, in the 3-point accuracy at 37.0 percent. … Defensively, the Commodores are allowing just 51.6 points per game, which ranks ninth in the nation and first in the SEC. … Vanderbilt is limiting its opponents to 25.5 rebounds per game, the SEC’s best mark by far. (Missouri is second at 31.4). … Christa Reed is leading the SEC in 3-point accuracy at 44.2 percent and ranks fifth in the conference in 3-pointers per game at 2.1. … Minta Spears ranks sixth in the SEC in assists (4.7 apg).
l Leading the way: Vanderbilt’s top three scorers are all sophomores. Christa Reed is averaging a team-high 11.3 points per game, Rachel Bell is averaging 9.9 and Rebekah Dahlman (redshirt sophomore) is averaging 9.1. … Senior Rayte’a Long is shooting 68.4 percent from the floor and is averaging 4.3 rebounds per game, which ranks second on the team behind Marqu’es Webb (4.6 rpg). … First-year Commodore Minta Spears, a graduate transfer from Texas Tech, is leading the team in assists (4.7 per game) and is playing a team-high 32.9 minutes per game.
l What’s trending: Sophomore guard Christa Reed, who is leading the SEC in 3-point accuracy (44.2 percent), is shooting 48.3 percent from long range in the past 14 games, and has made at least one 3-pointer in 13 of VU’s 16 games this season. … Senior forward Rayte’a Long is shooting 73.6 percent (14-of-19) from the floor over the past past nine games and is shooting 68.4 percent for the season. … Before being limited to two points in Sunday’s win over Alabama, redshirt sophomore guard Rebekah Dahlman was on a scoring surge. She had reached double figures in five of the previous seven games (from Dec. 5 through Jan. 7) and had average 11.9 points per game in that stretch. … Junior guard Minta Spears has compiled four or more assists in 11 of VU’s 16 games, and has logged 30 minutes or more of playing time in 12 games.
l Scouting LSU: After losing star guard Raigyne Moncreif to a knee injury, the Tigers are enduring a tough season, especially on the offensive end of the floor. They are averaging 57.1 points per game, which ranks last (14th) in the SEC and 295th in the nation. LSU is shooting 39.4 percent from the floor, which ranks 12th in the conference, and averaging 2.4 three-pointers per game, which is last in the SEC and 341st in the nation. … LSU ranks eighth in the SEC in defense, allowing 57.2 points per game. LSU’s field-goal defense (39.3 percent) ranks last in the conference. … With the absence of Moncrief (who was averaging 10.3 ppg through the first three games of the season), Jenna Deemer is LSU’s top scorer at 10.1 ppg. … Alexis Hyder is pulling down a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game.
l Series History: Thursday’s game will be the 44th all-time meeting between Vanderbilt and LSU, with the Commodores owning a 24-19 lead in the series. … The most recent match-up came last season, when LSU posted a 64-44 win in Baton Rouge on Jan. 8. … Vanderbilt owns a 13-3 record against the Tigers at Memorial Gym, including winning the past five meetings in Nashville. LSU hasn’t won on the Commodores’ home floor since posting a 79-68 victory during the 2004-05 season. … Vanderbilt head coach Melanie Balcomb is 10-8 against LSU in her tenure at VU, including a 6-1 mark against the Tigers at Memorial Gym. … The series dates back to the 1985-86 season.
l Last year’s game: The Commodores historically struggle offensively when they travel to Baton Rouge, and that held true last season when the Commodores fell to LSU, 64-44, at the Maravich Center on Feb. 8, 2015. The loss dropped Vanderbilt to 0-3 in the SEC, marking the first time in head coach Melanie Balcomb’s tenure that the Commodores opened conference play with three straight losses. LSU generated 29 points from Vanderbilt’s 24 turnovers as the Tigers beat Vanderbilt for the sixth straight time on the Tigers’ home floor. DeShawn Harden scored a game-high 18 points for LSU, and Raigyne Moncrief added 13 points and nine rebounds. Vanderbilt, which shot just 34 percent from the floor, was led by Paris Kea with 10 points, and Heather Bowe had 10 rebounds. The game was tied 38-38 at the midway mark of the second half before the Commodores endured a scoreless drought that lasted almost seven minutes. LSU reeled off 14 straight points in that span to build a 52-38 lead.
l VU’s most recent game: Sophomore guard Christa Reed scored 15 of her game-high 17 points in the second half to help the Commodores slip past Alabama 54-48 on Sunday afternoon at Foster Auditorium. Vanderbilt trailed 36-31 at the end of the third quarter but outscored the Tide 23-12 in the final 10 minutes. Minta Spears finished with eight points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Commodores. Breanna Hayden paced Alabama (12-4, 1-2) with 10 points. It was Vanderbilt’s seventh consecutive win in Tuscaloosa — a streak that dates back to the 2003-04 season — and the Commodores have now won 20 of the last 22 games against Alabama. The Commodores, who are ranked among the Top-10 nationally in field-goal percentage, shot just 31 percent from the floor, making 15-of-47 shots.