Jan. 5, 2017
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
On campus in Nashville — In her first go-round against Tennessee, Vanderbilt head coach Stephanie White was unable to stage an upset against a perennial power. The Commodores (10-5, 0-2 SEC) coughed up key turnovers and fell, 70-57, to rival Tennessee (10-4, 2-0) on Thursday. Here’s a rundown of Vanderbilt’s latest performance at Memorial Gym:
THE SKINNY: Vanderbilt couldn’t get going early against Tennessee, falling behind 20-7 after one quarter of play. White’s team shot just 3-14 in the first 10 minutes, but it rallied to cut UT’s lead to 10 by halftime, 36-26. In the second half, the Commodores managed to cut the Lady Vols’ lead to single-digits on numerous occasions. But Tennessee matched nearly every Vanderbilt mini-spurt in the final two quarters and held on for the victory.
TURNING POINT: After Vanderbilt staged a 13-2 run in the second quarter that cut UT’s lead to 25-20, the Lady Vols reeled off eight straight points to halt the ‘Dores’ rally. Vanderbilt never got closer than that five-point hole after that.
IMPACT PLAYER: Mercedes Russell. Tennessee’s 6’6” center was a force inside against Vanderbilt, which boasts no player taller than 6’1”. Russell finished with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds and tied a season-high with six blocks. The Commodores were forced to go small for stretches in the second half as senior forward Marqu’es Webb played with foul trouble. That allowed Russell help facilitate UT’s inside-out game in key moments.
STARTLING STAT: 20 – Tennessee’s points off turnovers. The Lady Vols forced Vanderbilt into 21 turnovers on the night and turned those miscues into 20 points. The Commodores, meanwhile, dished out a mere eight assists against those turnovers. Tennessee turned Vanderbilt’s mistakes into points, which became the difference in a game in which both teams shot just 35 percent from the floor.
WHAT IT MEANS: Vanderbilt dropped its fourth straight game – and second SEC game in a row – after a 10-1 start.
QUOTABLE: “For us, we continue to preach that it’s growth. Rome wasn’t built in a day. We’re trying to just get better every single day. We’re trying to compete at a high level every single day. And for the most part, our team does that.” -Vanderbilt head coach Stephanie White on her young team playing tough against a seasoned Tennessee program
WHAT’S NEXT: Vanderbilt travels for a road matchup with Georgia on Sunday, Jan. 8. The game tips off at 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network.