Jan. 6, 2018
Vanderbilt (4-12, 0-2 SEC) at No. 7/7 Tennessee (14-0, 2-0 SEC)
Sunday Jan. 7, 2018 | 11 AM CT | SEC Network
Knoxville, Tenn. (Thompson-Boling Arena)
Complete Game Notes (PDF) | Livestats | SEC Network Link
Starting Five
1.The Commodores will hit the road for the second time in SEC action when they take the trip to the Eastern time zone to take on Tennessee on Sunday at 11 AM CT. The Commodores are looking to bounce back from an 81-52 loss to Georgia in their SEC home opener. The game will be televised on the SEC Network. Vanderbilt is looking to snap their two-game skid and pick up their first-ever win in Knoxville and the first win over Tennessee in the Stephanie White era.
2.Vanderbilt dropped their second consecutive game with an 81-52 loss to Georgia on Thursday in their SEC home opener. For the fifth time this season, Chelsie Hall led the Commodores with a team-high 17 points while Rachel Bell added 10 points. Autumn Newby led the defense with five rebounds. The loss was just the 13th loss in an SEC home opener in program history.
3.Sunday’s meeting will be the first of two meetings between the two SEC schools from the Volunteer State. Tennessee holds a commanding 68-9 series advantage and has won the last seven meetings between the teams. The Commodores are looking for their first-ever win in Knoxville on Sunday. Vanderbilt last defeated Tennessee during the 2013-14 season a 74-63 win in Memorial Gym.
4. Rachel Bell and Chelsie Hall are quite the scoring tandem for the Commodores. Bell is Vanderbilt’s leading scorer with 14.4 points per game while Hall is right behind her with 13.9 points per game. The pair have combined for 453 of Vanderbilt’s 1108 points this season which amounts to 40 percent of Vanderbilt’s scoring. The pair have combined to lead the team in scoring in 11 of 16 games this season and in Vanderbilt’s contest with LSU in the SEC opener played the full 40 minutes.
5. With her 10 points against Georgia, Rachel Bell posted her eighth consecutive game in double figures. Bell has reached double digits in 12 games this season and her eight game streak is the longest for a Commodores this season. In the current eight-game stretch Bell is averaging 15.7 points per game and has reached 15 or more points in five of the eight including two games of 21 points vs. Louisville and NC State.
Setting the Scene
-The Commodores will hit the road as they travel to Tennessee to take on the No. 7 ranked Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday at 11 AM CT. The game is the first of a day of women’s basketball on the SEC Network and will feature Tiffany Greene and LaChina Robinson on the call.
Last Time Out
-Vanderbilt dropped its fifth straight game with an 81-52 setback to Georgia in its SEC home opener on Thursday. Chelsie Hall led the offense with a team-best 17 points while Autumn Newby added five rebounds on the glass.
-The loss was just the 13th loss in an SEC home opener in the 40-year history of the program despite being the fourth straight home opening loss for the Commodores.
Scouting Report
-Tennessee enters Sunday’s game with a perfect 14-0 record after winning a hard fought 70-59 win over Auburn in their SEC home opener. The Volunteers are led by Jamie Nard who is averaging a team-best 17.5 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game. Nard leads a group of five players in double figures for the Lady Vols and is joined by Mercedes Russell (15.9), Anastasia Hayes (11.5) Rennia Davis (11.3) and Evina Westbrook (10.4) in double figures. Nine of Tennessee’s 10 players are averaging at least 2.0 points per game and the entire team is averaging at least one rebound per game.
With A Win
-The Commodores will move to 5-12 on the season and will pick up their first SEC win of the season and their first win over Tennessee in the last eight tries.
-A win would also be Vanderbilt’s first win over a ranked opponent since the 2015-16 season when they knocked of then-No. 12 Kentucky on the road. It would be the Commodores first-ever win at Thompson-Boling arena.
Another Ranked Foe on Tap
The Commodores trip to take on No. 7 Tennessee marks the second ranked opponent and the second top-10 ranked opponent for the Commodores this season. Vanderbilt dropped a 79-57 contest to No. 3 Louisville on the road on Dec. 7. Vanderbilt’s last road win over a ranked foe was in 2015-16 when they knocked off No. 12 Kentucky, 71-69, in Lexington. The last time Vanderbilt defeated a top 10 ranked team was in 2013-14 when Vanderbilt defeated the then-No. 8 ranked Lady Vols. Vanderbilt hasn’t last defeated a top 10 ranked team on the road in the last 10 seasons.
Bell Makes It Eight Straight
Rachel Bell extended her team leading double figure scoring streak to eight straight games with 10 points against Georgia. Bell is leading the team with 14.4 points per game and is averaging 15.7 points per game through the last eight games. The senior has reached double figures in 52 career games which amounts to nearly half of her games played in a Commodore uniform.
Hall With Strong Start to SEC Play
Chelsie Hall has had a strong start to SEC play averaging a team-leading 17.5 points per game through the first two games. Hall has reached double figures in each of the last four games and in 11 games this season. The Florida native is averaging 13.9 points per game on the season and is the lone freshman to have started each game this season.
Walker is Strong In Second Half
Cierra Walker scored 11 points against LSU and had three three-point field goals – all in the second half. Walker, who is averaging 7.3 points per game and 1.5 three-point field goals per game, has scored 73 percent of her points in the second half this season. Walker is averaging 5.8 points in the second half compared to just 2.6 point in the first half.
40 Minutes Strong
Rachel Bell and Chelsie Hall each played every second of Vanderbilt’s loss at LSU. It the first game this season the Commodores have had anyone play the entire contest.
Hall Leads the Way
Freshman Chelsie Hall is a freshman making an impact. Hall is one of three players that have started each game this season with the others being seniors Rachel Bell and Christa Reed. The Florida native is Vanderbilt’s second-leading scorer with 13.9 points per game. Hall has reached double figures in 11 games and has scored 15 or more on nine occasions. Hall’s 13.9 points per game is second among SEC freshmen trailing Texas A&M’s Chennedy Carter.
Kayla Overbeck Heating Up
Kayla Overbeck is playing her best basketball of the season right now. The sophomore SEC All-Freshman team selection a year ago, has posted double figures in three of the last five games and tallied her first double-double of the season with a season-best 15 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Lipscomb. In the last four games, Overbeck is averaging 8.8 points per game, up from the 6.6 points per game she was averaging entering the NC State game. Additionally, Overbeck has grabbed a rebound in each of the last 13 games and is averaging 4.5 rebounds per game.