Feb. 17, 2018
Vanderbilt (6-21, 2-11 SEC) at Florida (10-16, 2-11 SEC)
Sunday Feb. 18, 2018 | 12:00 PM CT/ 1PM ET | SEC Network
Gainesville, Fla. (Exactech Arena)
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Starting Five
1. The Commodores head to the Sunshine State Sunday where they open a two-game road swing when they take on the Gators. The Commodores and Gators will square off at 1 PM ET/12 PM CT on the SEC Network in the Commodores third consecutive nationally-televised game with former Florida coach Carol Ross and Brenda VanLengen on the call. Vanderbilt is coming off a 95-50 setback to No. 2 Mississippi State on Thursday and is looking for its second SEC road win.
2. Vanderbilt enters Sunday’s matchup on the heels of a 95-50 setback at the hands of No. 2 and 2017 NCAA Championship finalist, Mississippi State. For the second consecutive game senior Christa Reed led the offense with a team-best 14 points and four rebounds while Kayla Overbeck added 12 points for her sixth consecutive game in double figures. The Commodores are looking to snap their current four-game losing streak and move a game ahead of Florida, who they are tied with in the SEC standings.
3. Sunday’s meeting will be the 57th meeting between the teams with the Commodores owning a 33-23 series advantage despite dropping the last two meetings and four of the last five. Vanderbilt last defeated Florida in Gainesville in 2014-15 in a 76-75 overtime thriller. Vanderbilt leads the all-time series, 13-11, in games played in Gainesville. In the last 15 meetings, Vanderbilt is 10-5.
4. Kayla Overbeck has proven to be a master of efficiency and over the last 10 games is shooting .742 (49-of-66) from the field and averaging 14.0 points per game. Overbeck has reached double figures in each of the last six games and is averaging 9.4 points per game on the year. Overbeck is shooting .624 (93-of 149) from the floor on the year to lead the SEC and ranks No. 37 nationally in field goal percentage. Overbeck averaged just 7.8 points per game in non-conference action.
5. Christa Reed has turned things on offensively over the last 10 contests. During those 10 games, Reed is averaging a team-best 13.3 points per game and is shooting .523 (45-of-86) from the field. She is also showing .962 (25-of-26) from the free throw line in that span. Reed’s shooting .923 from the free throw line on the year but is just shy of the minimum attempts per game to be ranked (two attempts/game), but if she were ranked she would lead the SEC and be the only player shooting better than 90 percent from the charity stripe.
Setting the Scene
-Vanderbilt travels to Gainesville, Fla., to take on the Florida Gators on Sunday at 12 PM CT/1 PM ET. This will be the second “Pink Game” the Commodores will play in this season. The game will be televised on the SEC Network with Brenda VanLengen and Carol Ross on the call.
Last Time Out
-Vanderbilt dropped a 95-50 contest to No. 2 and undefeated Mississippi State on Thursday night. For the second consecutive game, Christa Reed led the offense with 14 points and four rebounds. Kayla Overbeck added 12 points for her sixth straight game in double figures. The loss was the Commodores’ fourth straight and moved them to 0-8 against ranked opponents.
Scouting Report
-Florida enters Sunday’s game with a 10-16, 2-11 SEC record after a narrow, 85-80, loss at No. 17 Texas A&M on Thursday. The loss was the sixth consecutive for Florida but was the second consecutive game in which the Gators kept the game close. Funda Nakkasoglu leads a trio in double figures with 15.0 points per game while Haley Lorenzen leads the way on the glass with 9.0 rebounds per game.
With A Win
-The Commodores will pick up their third SEC win and second SEC road win.
-Vanderbilt will move to 34-23 in the all-time series and record their first win in Gainesville since 2014-15.
Play4Kay Pink Game
Sunday’s game will be the second consecutive “Play4Kay” Pink Game for the Commodores. Vanderbilt had their own Pink Game on Thursday against Mississippi State and will also wear pink accessories in Sunday’s game against the Gators.
Kayla Overbeck a Case Study in Efficiency
-In the last 10 games, Kayla Overbeck is shooting a blistering .742 percent from the field (49-of-66) and is averaging 14.0 points per game in that span. Overbeck’s season average is 9.4 points per game, a number that moves to 11.3 points per game against SEC foes. The California native averaged just 7.8 points per game in the non-conference. On the season she’s shooting .613 percent from the field, which ranks No. 37 nationally and leads the SEC.
-In addition to shooting at a blistering pace, Overbeck is putting up numbers. She’s reached double figures in each of the last six games, matching the longest stretch for a Commodore this season. In the six game stretch, she recorded a new career-high with 21 points which was the first 20-point outing of her career.
Welcome to the 500 Club, KO
In Vanderbilt’s last outing, Kayla Overbeck recorded her 500th career point. She enters Sunday’s game with a 507 career points. She’s also added 314 rebounds during her career.
Christa Reed Going Out Strong
Senior Christa Reed has been Vanderbilt’s constant this season and it’s showed in the last 10 contests. Over the last 10 games, she’s averaging 13.3 points, shooting .523 percent from the field (45-of-86) and is .962 (25-of-26) from the free throw line. She’s leading Vanderbilt against SEC foes and is averaging 12.0 points per game in conference action.
Reed Lethal from the Stripe
Reed has been extremely impressive from the charity stripe this season. She is shooting .929 percent from the line, a number that leads the SEC and makes her the only SEC player shooting better than 90 percent from the foul line but Reed doesn’t show up in the SEC rankings because she is just shy of the SEC minimum in attempts (two attempts/game). Reed has made each of her last 20 foul shots and is ranked No. 15 nationally.
Walker from Deep
Cierra Walker has quietly put together a very impressive SEC campaign. The Oregon City, Oregon native is averaging 9.9 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 .508 percent (31-of-61). In the last 10 games, Walker is shooting .500 (22-of-44) from long range. When the Commodores win, Walker shoots .531 percent from deep.
Chelsie Hall Doing Chelsie Hall Things …
-Freshman Chelsie Hall has put together an impressive freshman campaign thus far. The rookie from Boca Raton, Florida is leading the Commodores in scoring with 12.4 points per game and has started every game this season. She’s reached double figures in a team-best 17 games this season and in 10 of Vanderbilt’s last 15 games, including a career-best 26 against Belmont. Hall’s scored 20+ in three contests this season. Hall’s 12.4 points per game make her the No. 2 SEC freshman scorer, trailing just Texas A&M’s Chennedy Carter, and ranks her No. 23 overall in the SEC.
-Despite leading the team in scoring, Hall’s production has dropped a little in the last three games, as she is only averaging 5.6 points per game in losses to Georgia, Auburn and Mississippi State. In Vanderbilt’s six wins, Hall has reached double figures in five of those contests and is averaging 13.3 points in Commodore victories.
Overbeck and Reed, the X-Factors in Commodore Wins
Sophomore Kayla Overbeck is shooting .618 (21-of-34) in Vanderbilt wins and averages 10.8 points per game in Commodore victories. Overbeck has 14 games in double figures this season and in Vanderbilt’s six wins, Overbeck has been in double figures in four of them. Christa Reed has also been key in Vanderbilt victories. Reed is averaging 12.7 points per game in Vanderbilt wins and is shooting .550 percent (11-of-20) from long range in victories.