Jan. 30, 2016
Teams: Vanderbilt (15-5, 4-3) vs. Georgia (15-6, 3-5)
Day, Date: Sunday, Jan. 31
Tip-off time: 2 p.m.
Site: Memorial Gym (Nashville, Tenn.)
Radio: 560 AM / 95.9 FM
Viewing: SEC Network Plus (online)
Game Notes: VU Game Notes (UGA) 
UGA Game Notes (VU)
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased by calling 615-322-GOLD, visiting the McGugin Center ticket office or logging on to vucommodores.com.
Looking to continue climbing the SEC standings, the Vanderbilt women host Georgia on Sunday at Memorial Gym. The Commodores (15-5, 4-3) roll into the game with plenty of momentum after upsetting No. 12-ranked Kentucky 71-69 on Thursday in Lexington to move into sole possession of fifth place in the SEC. Georgia (15-6, 3-5), meanwhile, will also enter Sunday’s game with momentum after the Bulldogs rolled past Auburn 64-30 on Thursday night and set a new school record for fewest points allowed in an SEC game. Here’s a closer look at Sunday’s game, which represents the midway mark of the conference schedule for Vanderbilt:
l Update on the Commodores: Vanderbilt has surged through the past three weeks, winning four of its past five games to move into sole possession of fifth place in the SEC standings. The Commodores, who were predicted for an 11th-place finish in the conference, are now just a half-game out of third. (Mississippi State and Florida are tied for third with 5-3 records). … Thursday night’s upset of No. 12 Kentucky was VU’s first road win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 16, 2012, when they won at Oklahoma. … Having posted wins at Alabama and at Kentucky, the Commodores are one of only four SEC teams with two or more SEC road wins. The others are South Carolina, Texas A&M and Florida. …. Vanderbilt has gone 14-3 since Nov. 22. … With eight games remaining on the regular-season schedule, the Commodores have already matched their win total from last season, when they finished 15-16 and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999.
l The skinny on today’s game: Georgia and Vanderbilt are ranked No. 1 and 2 in the SEC, respectively, in defense. The Lady Dogs are allowing 51.9 points per game and VU is surrendering just 51.9. … Although UGA has won the last three meetings against Vanderbilt, the Commodores have won the past five match-ups in Nashville. The Lady Dogs haven’t posted a win at Memorial Gym since the 2005-06 season. … Georgia’s Shacobia Barbee is one of the conference’s most exciting players, and ranks among the SEC’s Top-15 in scoring, rebounding and assists.
l What’s trending for VU: Vanderbilt is having one of the best statistical seasons in team history, with the Commodores ranking among the nation’s Top-15 in three significant categories. They are No. 10 in the country in field-goal percentage at 46.7 percent, No. 12 in 3-point accuracy at 37.4 percent and No. 12 in the nation in defense, allowing 52.4 points per game. Vanderbilt leads the SEC in two of those categories — field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage — and ranks No. 2 in the conference in defense. … The Commodores have limited opponents to 59 points or less in 15 of 20 games this season, and have surrendered 49 points or less in eight games. … Vanderbilt is limiting its opponents to 26.3 rebounds per game, easily the best mark in the SEC. (Missouri is second at 32.3).
l Star Power: Sophomore Christa Reed, who scored a team-high 19 points in the win over Kentucky, is Vanderbilt’s top scorer at 11.3 points per game. Reed is leading the SEC in 3-point accuracy by a wide margin at 45.8 percent. (South Carolina’s Tina Roy is second at 39.6 percent). Reed is tied for fourth in the conference in 3-pointers per game at 2.2. … Sophomore Rachel Bell is also averaging double-figures in scoring at 10.5 ppg. … Point guard Minta Spears ranks fifth in the SEC in assists (4.6 apg) and fourth in the SEC in minutes played (33.2 mpg). … Junior Marque’s Webb is VU’s top rebounder at 5.6 per game, and has collected double-digit rebounds in each of the past three games, including grabbing a career-high 13 boards in last Thursday’s loss to Tennessee … Senior Rayte’a Long is having the best season of her career, shooting 67.5 percent from the floor and ranking second on the team in rebounding at 3.8.
l Scouting the Lady Dogs: Under first-year head coach Joni Taylor, Georgia has emerged as one of the nation’s best defensive teams. The Bulldogs lead the country in 3-point defense, holding opponents to just 22.9 percent. They are ranked No. 9 in the country in points allowed per game at 51.9 percent and are No. 8 in field-goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to just 33.5 percent. … Georgia’s offense is ranked No. 161 in the country (and 11th in the SEC) in scoring at 64.8 points per game, but the Lady Dogs have two players who rank among the Top-15 in the SEC in scoring: Senior guard Tiaria Griffin ranks 10th at 14.1 ppg and senior guard/forward Shacobia Barbee ranks 15th at 12.6. … Barbee also ranks fourth in the conference in rebounding at 9.2 rpg and sixth in assists at 4.4.
l Sizing up the Series: Sunday’s game marks the 61st all-time meeting between the teams, with Georgia owning a 34-26 lead in the series. … The Bulldogs have won three straight — and four of the last five — against the Commodores, including a 64-53 win last season in Athens. … Vanderbilt has won the past five match-ups in Nashville, and the Lady Dogs haven’t posted a win at Memorial Gym since the 2005-06 season. … Vanderbilt head coach Melanie Balcomb is 13-9 against UGA, including 6-1 in Nashville. … The series dates back to the 1978-79 season, which was VU’s second year of women’s basketball. … Georgia won 19 of the first 22 meetings, but Vanderbilt has gone 23-15 against the Dogs since the start of the 1992-93 season.
l Last year’s game vs. Georgia: Limited to 40 percent shooting from the field, Vanderbilt was saddled with a 64-53 loss to No. 16/18 Georgia on Jan. 18, 2015, in Athens. Georgia’s Shaconia Barbee scored all of her 14 points in the second half to pace the Lady Dogs. Rebekah Dalman led Vanderbilt with 17 points and Marqu’es Webb had 11. Dahlman finished 6-of-8 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. The Commodores stayed within striking distance for much of the afternoon, and trailed 39-36 with 11:14 remaining in the second half. But Vanderbilt ultimately couldn’t overcome the foul problems that caused Dahlman and Webb to sit out for lengthy stretches in the second half. The Bulldogs made the most of their chances at the free throw line, finishing 24-of-30 (80 percent) while Vanderbilt was 10-of-16 (62 percent).
l VU’s most recent game: Sophomore Christa Reed knocked down two 3-pointers in the final 90 seconds, including the go-ahead shot with 1:26 to play, to help send Vanderbilt to a 71-69 upset of No. 12-ranked Kentucky in Lexington. The Commodores (15-5, 4-3) secured the victory when Marqu’es Webb blocked a potential game-tying shot by Kentucky’s Janee Thompson with two seconds left. Reed, who sustained a busted lip during the game, scored all of her team-high 19 points in the second half and finished 5-of-9 from 3-point range. Rebekah Dahlman added 18 points despite being sidelined by foul trouble for much of the second half. It was the fourth win in the past five games for Vanderbilt, and was the Commodores’ first road win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 16, 2012, when they won at Oklahoma. The victory — which featured 11 lead changes and six ties — also enabled Vanderbilt to end a nine-game losing streak against Kentucky (15-4, 4-4). Rachel Bell had 15 points for the Commodores, and Webb pulled down 11 rebounds for her third consecutive double-digit rebounding effort. Vanderbilt went 10-of-24 from 3-point range.