Feb. 11, 2018
Vanderbilt (6-19, 2-9 SEC) at Auburn (12-11, 3-8 SEC)
Monday Feb. 12, 2018 | 6 PM CT| SEC Network
Auburn, Ala. (Auburn Arena)
Complete Game Notes (PDF) | | SEC Network | Listen Live
Starting Five
1.The Commodores are back on the road for a matchup with Auburn on Monday night from Auburn Arena. The game will be televised nationally on the SEC Network with Brenda VanLengen and Carol Ross on the call. Vanderbilt is coming off a 67-55 setback in Athens to No. 18 Georgia. The Dores are looking for their second SEC road win of the season after a win over Ole Miss on Feb. 1 and their first win at Auburn since 2013-14.
2.Vanderbilt enters Monday’s game after a 67-55 loss to No. 18 Georgia on Thursday. Kayla Overbeck had a career night for the Commodores with a career-best 21 points, her first career 20-point outing, and her fourth consecutive game in double figures. Autumn Newby led the way on the glass with eight rebounds. Vanderbilt is looking to snap its current two-game skid and pick up some momentum heading into the final weeks of the season and the SEC Tournament.
3.Monday’s meeting with Auburn will be the only meeting between the team’s this season. The Tigers are riding a four-game win streak in the series entering Mondays’ matchup and have 13 wins on their home court in the series. Vanderbilt last defeated Auburn in 2013-14 and until a loss in the second meeting in 2013-14, held a 21-game win streak in the series. In the last five games in the series, just one has been decided by double digits and the average margin of victory is 8.0 ppg.
4.Kayla Overbeck has put together a pretty impressive eight-game stretch. Over the last eight games, Overbeck has reached double figures in six of those contests and has been in double figures in the last four games. Through the last eight games, Overbeck is averaging 13.0 points per game and is shooting an impressive .727 (40-of-55) from the field. On the season, the California native is averaging 9.2 points per game, a figure that jumps to 11.2 in SEC play. For comparison, Overbeck averaged just 7.8 points per game in non-conference action.
5. Christa Reed is making the most of her last SEC slate. Through the last eight games, Reed is averaging 13.0 points per game and shooting .493 percent from the floor (35-of-71). She’s been extremely impressive from the charity stripe, shooting .955 percent (21-22) and is perfect from the stripe (16-of-16) through the last six games. She’s reached double figures in six of the last seven games and enters the Auburn game needing just eight points to join the 1,000-point club.
Setting the Scene
The Commodores are on the road for the second consecutive game on Monday with a trip to Auburn to take on the Tigers. Tipoff is set for 6 pm CT from Auburn Arena. The game will be televised nationally on the SEC Network.
Last Time Out
Vanderbilt dropped a 67-55 road contest to No. 18 Georgia on Thursday. Kayla Overbeck was the lone Commodore in double figures with a career-best 21 points for her fourth straight game in double figures. Freshman Autumn Newby led the way on the glass with a team-best eight rebounds. The Bulldogs swept the season series and the loss was the second consecutive for Vanderbilt.
Scouting Report
Auburn enters Monday’s game with a 12-11, 3-8 SEC record after a 70-62 win over LSU on Thursday night. Janiah McKay leads a trio in double figures with 16.6 points per game. Daisia Alexander and Unique Thompson are also in double figures with 13.7 and 11.5 points per game, respectively. Thompson leads the way on the glass with 8.9 rebounds per game. The Tigers are a game ahead of the Commodores in the SEC standings and are 3-2 at home in SEC action with wins over Florida, Alabama and LSU.
With A Win
-The Commodores will pick up their third SEC win and their second SEC road win.
-A win would also snap the Tigers current four-game win streak in the series.
-A Vanderbilt win would make Vanderbilt 29-20 in the all-time series.
Road Trippin’
The Commodores will spend much of the final month of the season on the road. Vanderbilt will make five road trips in the final eight games of the season after making just two road trips in the month of January. The Commodores picked up their first SEC road win since 2015-16 with a 75-72 win at Ole Miss. Last season, Vanderbilt didn’t win an SEC road win and over the last four seasons Vanderbilt has won just seven SEC road games.
Kayla Overbeck a Case Study in Efficiency
Sophomore Kayla Overbeck has really stepped her game up since the start of SEC play. In the last eight games, Overbeck is shooting a blistering .727 percent from the field (40-of-55) and is averaging 13.0 points per game in that span. Overbeck’s season average is 9.2 points per game, a number that moves to 11.2 points per game against SEC foes. The California native averaged just 7.8 points per game in the non-conference.
Overbeck with a Big Night in Athens
Kayla Overbeck was a bright spot for the Commodores in Athens on Thursday. The sophomore went off for a career-best 21 points and was 10-of-14 from the floor and was an impressive 6-of-7 from the floor through the first half. Overbeck’s 21 points marked her fourth consecutive game in double figures and was her first career 20-point game.
Christa Reed Closing Her Career Strong
Senior Christa Reed has been Vanderbilt’s constant this season. The Bay St. Louis, Mississippi native has put together quite the impressive eight-game stretch. Over the last eight games, she’s averaging 13.0 points, shooting .497 percent from the field (35-of-71) and is knocking down .464 percent of her shots from long range (13-of-28). Probably the most impressive number is from the free throw line, where she’s shooting .955 percent (21-of-22) and enters the Auburn game having made her last 16 foul shots.
Reed Approaching 1K
Reed is closing in on her 1,000th career point and entering the Auburn game is just eight points shy of the mark. Should she reach the mark, she will become the second Commodore to reach 1,000 points joining classmate and teammate Rachel Bell. They will become the first pair to reach the milestone in the same season since 2012-13, when the Commodores had three players join the 1,000-point club.
Walker From Deep
Cierra Walker has quietly put together a very impressive SEC campaign. The Oregon City, Oregon native is averaging 10.8 points against SEC competition and has really stepped up her production from long range. In non-conference action, Walker shot .379 percent (22-of-58) from deep but in SEC play, Walker is shooting .549 percent (28-of-51). In the last eight games, Walker has been especially productive shooting .559 (19-of-34) from long range. When the Commodores win, Walker is shooting .531 percent from deep.