Jan. 12, 2016
UPDATE ON THE DORES
RECORD: 12-4, 1-2
LAST FIVE GAMES: 3-2
UPCOMING GAMES:
Jan. 14: host LSU, 7 p.m.
Jan. 21: at Tennessee, 6 p.m.
Jan. 25: host Alabama, 6 p.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: @VandyWBB l Facebook: Vandy Hoops l Instagram: vandywbb
After registering an important road win against Alabama on Sunday, the Vanderbilt women are back home Thursday night, hosting LSU. The Commodores will be looking to improve their 8-1 home record and will be seeking to extend a streak of five straight wins against LSU at Memorial Gym. After Thursday’s game, VU will have an open date on Sunday, Jan. 17, followed by two-week stretch in which the Commodores will play four of their next six games on the road. Here’s a look at what’s happening now and what’s ahead for the Commodores:
l IN THE WIN COLUMN
After opening SEC play with a tough losses, the Commodores traveled to Tuscaloosa on Sunday and earned a 54-48 win over Alabama. Sophomore guard Christa Reed scored 15 of her game-high 17 points in the second half for the Commodores (12-4, 1-2), who trailed 36-31 at the end of the third quarter but outscored the Tide 23-12 in the final 10 minutes. 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 their last 22 games against Alabama. The victory was an emotional boost for the Commodores after suffering back-to-back losses in games that were decided late. They fell to No. 2-ranked South Carolina 71-61 last Thursday night in a contest that featured 18 lead changes, and were saddled with a 55-52 loss to Ole Miss in their SEC opener after seeing a 12-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter.
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS:
l THIS IS OUR JAM
The Commodores will host their annual “Jam the Gym” promotion on Jan. 25 when Vanderbilt hosts Alabama at 6 p.m. All tickets can be purchased for $1 by calling 615-322-GOLD or by visiting the ticket office in the McGugin Center. … Also, the game against Alabama has also been designated as Vanderbilt’s “We Back Pat” game, and more details on that event will available soon. The “We Back Pat” campaign — named in honor of former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt — is a week-long initiative focused on building support for The Pat Summitt Foundation and the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
l A CAUSE GREATER THAN OUR OWN
Vanderbilt’s game against Kentucky on Feb. 14 has been marked as this season’s “Play for Kay/Pink-out” game at Memorial Gym. Fans are encouraged to wear pink, and the Vanderbilt players will also be wearing special uniforms as the WBB program shows its support for the fight against breast cancer. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund, in partnership with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and The V Foundation, is a charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against women’s cancers through raising money for scientific research and related projects, assisting the underserved and unifying people for a common cause. It is named in honor of Kay Yow, the former North Carolina State University head coach, who passed away on Jan. 24, 2009, after facing her third bout with the disease. To date, the Fund has contributed $5.18 million in support of women’s cancer research.
l GIVE AWAYS
At all home games, Vanderbilt fans can look forward to several in-game promotions, including the T-shirt toss (thrown by cheerleaders during timeouts) and gold-shaker giveaways. There are also free posters and wallet-sized schedules available at the marketing tables and miniature basketballs will be throw into the stands during selected timeouts.