Jan. 17, 2018
Vanderbilt (5-14, 1-4 SEC) vs No. 10/10 South Carolina (14-3, 3-2 SEC)
Thursday Jan. 18, 2018 | 7 PM CT | SEC Network+
Nashville, Tenn. (Memorial Gym)
Complete Game Notes (PDF) | | SEC Network+ Stream
Starting Five
1. The Commodores are back on the hardwood Thursday night when they welcome the 2017 national champion, South Carolina Gamecocks to the Memorial Gym. The Dores and Gamecocks will square off at 7 pm CT in their lone meeting this season. The Dores are looking to maintain momentum after they earned their first SEC win on Monday with a 70-55 win over Kentucky. Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 21-14 but South Carolina has won the last eight meetings between the squads.
2. Vanderbilt enters Thursday’s contest with their first SEC win under the belt after a 70-55 win over Kentucky on Monday night on the SEC Network. Kayla Overbeck led the way with a career-best tying 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Cierra Walker (15), Christa Reed (12) and Autumn Newby (11) were also in double figures. Newby and Reed also led the way on the glass with seven rebounds each. Chelsie Hall also added a career-best five steals and five assists.
3. Thursday’s meeting will be Vanderbilt’s third meeting with a top-15 opponent in the last four games and its first meeting with a defending national champion since the 2014-15 season when they played UConn in non-conference action. Vanderbilt is looking to end South Carolina’s current eight-game winning streak and pick up its first win over a ranked opponent this season and the first since 2014-15 when they upset then-No. 12 Kentucky in Lexington.
4. Kayla Overbeck is peaking at just the right time. Overbeck was 6-of-7 from the floor against Kentucky and was a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line for a season-best 19 points in her last outing. Over the last two games, Overbeck has been highly efficient going 10-of-11 from the floor while sporting a perfect 11-of-11 record from the charity stripe. Overbeck is averaging 15.5 points per game over the last two games and 9.8 points in SEC games compared to her 8.2 season average.
5. Cierra Walker has had the hot hand for the Commodores since the start of SEC play. In four SEC games, Walker is averaging a team-best 13.4 points per game against SEC competition and has reached double figures in four of Vanderbilt’s five SEC games. She’s been remarkable from long range, tallying 15 three-pointers over the last three games, amounting to a 5.0 3-PT per game average. The Oregon native also hasn’t seen the bench in each of the last three games, playing the full 40 minutes in each of the last three games.
Setting the Scene
-The Commodores close out their three-game homestand on Thursday when they welcome 2017 national champion, South Carolina, to Memorial Gym. The squads will tipoff at 7 pm on SEC Network+.
Last Time Out
-Vanderbilt snapped its four-game losing streak and earned its first SEC win of the season with a 70-55 win over Kentucky on Monday night. Kayla Overbeck tied her career-best with 19 points and was joined in double figures by three of her teammates in Cierra Walker (15), Christa Reed (12) and Autumn Newby (11). Reed and Newby led the way on the glass with seven rebounds each.
-The win was the first over Kentucky in Nashville since 2009-10 and gave the Commodores their second win in the last 11 meetings between the teams.
Scouting Report
-South Carolina enters Thursday’s game with a 14-3, 3-2 SEC record after dropping an 80-76 game to No. 6 Tennessee on Sunday in Columbia. The Gamecocks, who are without the services of All-American A’ja Wilson, are 1-2 in their last three games. Wilson leads South Carolina and is averaging a double-double with 23.2 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per game. Wilson leads a quartet in double figures and is joined by Alexis Jennings (11.8), Tyasha Harris (11.5) and Lindsey Spann (10.7).
With A Win
-The Commodores will pick up their second consecutive victory and hand South Carolina their second consecutive loss. Vanderbilt would move to 6-14, 2-4 SEC and earn their first win over a ranked opponent this season.
-The win would also mark the first win over a defending national champion since defeating Tennessee, 74-58, in Nashville in 2009. The Lady Vols won the 2008 national championship.
SEC Win … Check!
It took five games but the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team picked up their first SEC win of the season with a 70-55 win over Kentucky on Monday night on the SEC Network. The Commodores, who also snapped a four-game losing streak in the process, are looking to improve on their 4-12 mark in SEC play last season. With the Commodores win the lone team without an SEC win this season is Florida.
KO Nets 19 in Kentucky Victory
On the eve of receiving a plaque for her play on the USA U19 World Cup team that won the silver medal in Italy over the summer, Kayla Overbeck showed why she was selected to the team. Overbeck tallied a season-high and tied her career-best with 19 points against Kentucky. Overbeck is averaging 8.2 points per game on the season and number that moves to 9.8 points in SEC play. Over the last two games, she’s averaging 14.5 points per game.
Overbeck Streaking from the Line
Not only has Overbeck been playing her best hoops, she’s getting it done from the free throw line. She’s 11-of-11 over the last two games and on the year is shooting .816 (40-of-49) from the charity stripe. The Commodores are quite efficient from the line, shooting .744 which ranks No. 3 in the SEC. Vanderbilt has seven players shooting at least 70- percent or better from the stripe led by Cierra Walker who is shooting .913 percent and has only missed two free throws all season.
Sharpshooter Walker
Cierra Walker has been lethal from long range since the start of SEC play. Walker is shooting .621 percent (18-of-29) from long range against SEC foes and is averaging 5.0 3-PT field goals over the last three contests. As a team, the Commodores are shooting .392 percent from long range on the season and .410 in SEC play. The Dores .392 percentage ranks No. 12 nationally and is tops in the SEC.
Hall for The Theft
Against Kentucky, Chelsie Hall “robbed” the Wildcats to the tune of five steals. Hall’s five steals are the most for a Vanderbilt player since Minta Spears had five against Troy during the 2015-16 season. Hall is averaging 1.3 steals per game.
Taking on the National Champs
Thursday’s game will mark the first time since the 2009 season in which the Commodores will play the defending national champions. Vanderbilt defeated Tennessee in 2009 after they won the 2008 national championship. Thursday’s game will be Vanderbilt’s third matchup with a ranked opponent in the last four games.
USA Basketball Connection
Thursday’s game will feature a pair of USA Basketball U19 teammates in Vanderbilt’s Kayla Overbeck and South Carolina’s Tyasha Harris. The pair teamed up over the summer to play in the U19 World Cup in Italy where they earned a silver medal. Texas A&M’s Chennedy Carter was also on the team.
Cierra Walker Playing Her Best Hoops Right Now
Cierra Walker has had an excellent start to SEC play. Walker entered SEC play averaging just 7.3 points per game but against SEC foes is averaging 13.4 points per game which leads the Commodores in SEC play. Walker has reached double figures in four of Vanderbilt’s five SEC games and over the last three games is averaging 17.3 points per game.