Feb. 10, 2016
Teams: Vanderbilt (15-8, 4-6) vs. No. 25/RV Tennessee (14-9, 5-5)
Day, Date: Thursday, Feb. 11
Tip-off time: 8 p.m.
Site: Memorial Gym (Nashville, Tenn.)
Radio: 560 AM / 95.9 FM
TV: SEC Network
VU’s last 10 games: 4-6 l VU’s current streak: Lost three straight
UT’s last 10 games: 5-5 l UT’s current streak: Lost one
Game Notes: Available soon.
With March Madness just around the corner, the Vanderbilt women are looking to build their resumè for the postseason — and their upcoming schedule offers them a golden chance to do so. When the Commodores host No. 25 Tennessee in a rivalry showdown on Thursday night at Memorial Gym, it will begin a stretch in which the Commodores will face five consecutive teams that are currently ranked in the Associated Press poll. Although Vanderbilt has lost its past three games — including falling to Arkansas on a buzzer-beater on Monday night — the Commodores can easily move into position for a postseason berth if they find a winning groove over the next two weeks. Vanderbilt will look to ignite the late-season push during Thursday’s game against the Lady Vols, who slipped past Vanderbilt, 58-49, last month in Knoxville. Here’s a closer look at Thursday’s contest:
l Update on the Commodores: The month of February has been tough on Vanderbilt thus far, with the Commodores dropping three straight games, including Monday’s last-second loss at Arkansas after VU had rallied back from a 22-point, second-half deficit. … Vanderbilt currently sits in 11th place in the SEC, but the Commodores are just one game behind seventh-place Tennessee and two games behind fourth-place Texas A&M. … With six 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. Vanderbilt is also just one SEC victory away from matching last season’s conference win total, when the Commodores finished 5-11… The Commodores’ upset of Kentucky on Jan. 28 was VU’s first road win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 16, 2012, when they won at Oklahoma.
l Upsets available: As mentioned above, Vanderbilt’s strength of schedule is about to skyrocket, as the Commodores will face five consecutive teams currently ranked in the AP poll. The list includes No. 25 Tennessee, No. 18 Kentucky, No. 16 Florida, No 15 Texas A&M and No. 11 Mississippi State. The Commodores close the regular season against Missouri, which has been ranked much of the season and received votes this week in both the AP and USA Today Coaches Poll. … The Commodores have gone 2-11 against ranked foes since the start of last season. They are 1-2 against ranked teams this season, beating Kentucky and falling to South Carolina and Tennessee.
l What’s trending for VU: Although the numbers have tapered off since the start of conference play, the Commodores are still putting together a strong statistical season on both ends of the floor. They are No. 11 in the country — and No. 1 in the SEC — in field-goal percentage at 46.3 percent, and Vanderbilt is tied for 16th in the nation, and ranks third in the SEC, in defense, allowing 53.1 points per game. … The Commodores are ranked No. 24 in the country, and second in the SEC, in 3-point accuracy at 36.0 percent. … Vanderbilt has held its opponents to less than 50 percent shooting from the floor in 22 of its 23 games this season. (South Carolina is the lone exception. The Gamecocks shot exactly 50 percent in a win over VU on Jan. 7). … The Commodores have out-rebounded their opponents in 17 of their 23 games this season.
l Star Power: Sophomore sharpshooter Christa Reed, who is averaging a team-high 11.0 points per game, is leading the SEC — and ranked No. 8 in the nation — in 3-point accuracy at 45.2 percent. … Point guard Minta Spears ranks fifth in the SEC in assists (4.5 apg) and seventh in the SEC in minutes played (32.9 mpg). … Junior Marque’s Webb is VU’s top rebounder at 5.4 per game. She is averaging 8.0 rebounds in the past six games. … Kendall Shaw has seen action in nine of VU’s ten SEC games, and is shooting 48 percent from the floor (12-of-25) in those games.
l Milestone for Morgan: Vanderbilt’s Morgan Batey pulled down her 500th career rebound on Monday night at Arkansas. The senior from Atlanta has led the Commodores in rebounding in each of the past two seasons.
l Scouting the Lady Vols: Tennessee, which is looking to rebound from Sunday’s overtime loss to Texas A&M, is having a pedestrian statistical season, at least by typical Lady Vol standards. They are ranked 121st in the nation in scoring (66.7 points per game) and 68th nationally in defense (58.8). Tennessee is ranked 99th in field goal percentage (41.4) and 294th in 3-point accuracy (27.1 percent). … Individually, UT’s Mercedes Russell has compiled 47 blocked shots this season, which is five more than the entire Vanderbilt roster combined. Russell is No. 2 in the SEC in that category. … Diamond DeShields is averaging a team-leading 13.7 points per game. .. Russell is averaging 10.9 points per game and is UT’s top rebounder at 8.8 per game. … Bashaara Graves is averaging 9.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. … Although the Lady Vols are 5-5 in the conference, four of their SEC losses have been decided by five points or less, including two overtime defeats.
l Series History: Thursday’s game marks the 75th all-time match-up between the Commodores and the Lady Vols. … Tennessee owns a 65-9 lead in the series, including winning the past four matchups. … Vanderbilt is 7-24 all-time against the Lady Vols at Memorial Gym, with three of the wins coming in the past seven seasons (2009, 2012 and 2014). … The Commodores suffered a 58-49 loss to Tennessee three weeks ago in Knoxville (more on that game below). … Vanderbilt head coach Melanie Balcomb is 3-27 against Tennessee. … The series dates back to the 1979-80 season.
l Most recent Vanderbilt-Tennessee game: Struggling on offense for much of the night, Vanderbilt suffered a 58-49 loss to the Lady Vols three weeks ago in Knoxville. The loss dropped Vanderbilt’s all-time record to 0-30 on UT’s home floor. Rebekah Dahlman finished with a game-high 17 points for Vanderbilt, and Marqu’es Webb pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds. Te’a Cooper led Tennessee with 13 points, including scoring nine straight points for the Lady Vols in the third quarter. After staging a big fourth-quarter comeback, Vanderbilt trailed by three points in the final minute. But the Commodores came up empty on back-to-back possessions — turning the ball over each time — and the Lady Vols made six straight free throws in the final 15 seconds to escape with the win. The Commodores limited Tennessee to 40 percent shooting from the floor, and Vanderbilt won the rebounding battle, 36-29.
l VU’s most recent game: After erasing a 22-point second-half deficit, the Commodores were saddled with a heartbreaking 57-56 loss to Arkansas on Monday night when the Razorbacks’ Malica Monk hit a buzzer-beating lay-up. Vanderbilt trailed 47-25 late in the third quarter before roaring back with a 24-2 run and eventually taking a one-point lead on two occasions in the final two minutes. But Arkansas had the game’s final possession, and Monk’s last-second shot sent Vanderbilt to its third straight loss. Rachel Bell scored 12 points to lead the Commodores (15-8, 4-6) and Jessica Jackson finished with a game-high 18 points for Arkansas (10-14, 5-6) before fouling out. With Arkansas seemingly in complete control late in the third quarter, the Commodores began chipping away at the 22-point deficit by closing the period on an 8-2 run to trim the margin to 49-33. Vanderbilt then opened the fourth quarter with a 16-0 run — which started and ended with baskets by Jasmine Jenkins — to forge a 49-49 tie with 3:32 remaining. The Commodores took their first lead of the night on a free throw by Marqu’es Webb with 1:59 remaining, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.