Dores Come Up Just Short vs. No. 12 Lady Vols

Feb. 4, 2018

Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)| Photo Gallery media_icon_photogallery.gif | Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee media_icon_photogallery.gif | Press Conference

NASHVILLE – On a day the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team celebrated the 1992-93 Final Four team, the Commodores (6-18, 2-8 SEC) gave the No. 12/13 Tennessee Lady Vols (19-4, 7-3 SEC) all they could handle but couldn’t overcome 50 combined points from Tennessee seniors Jamie Nared and Mercedes Russell in a 74-64 loss on Sunday.

The Skinny
Date: Feb. 4, 2018
Time: 1:00 PM CT
Place: Nashville, Tenn. (Memorial Gym)

At the Top of the Charts
Points: Chelsie Hall – 19 points
Rebounds: Chelsie Hall – 6 rebounds
Assists: Chelsie Hall – 5 assists
Steals: Autumn Newby – 2 steals

How It Happened
First Quarter: Tennessee 13, Vanderbilt 11
Tennessee jumped out to a 10-3 lead but Vanderbilt’s defensive intensity was there from the outset. A Chelsie Hall free throw and Christa Reed bucket made the game 10-5 at the first media timeout. Out of the timeout a Volunteer shot clock violation coupled with two buckets on the inside from Overbeck quieted the Tennessee crowd and cut the lead to just one point, 10-9 with 1:50 left in the quarter courtesy of an 8-0 run. Despite the low score lots of great defensive intensity as the Dores trailed by just a bucket at the quarter break.

Second Quarter: Tennessee 30, Vanderbilt 26
Both teams had a slower start to the second quarter but the Lady Vols extended their lead to 15-11 and amped up the press, forcing White to call a timeout at the 8:05 mark. Kayla Overbeck ended the nearly six-minute scoring drought with a bucket in the paint but a foul on the other end kept the lead with the Lady Vols, 17-13. The Commodores couldn’t find their shot in the second frame but their defense was impressive and really kept them in the game. Chelsie Hall hit a huge triple at the 4:40 mark to make it a one-point lead for the visitors, 19-18, but Tennessee used a 9-2 run to take a 28-20 lead at the 1:48 mark. The Commodores cut into that lead late with a pair at the line from Overbeck and six of the final eight points of the quarter cut the lead to just four points at the half 30-26.

Third Quarter: Tennessee 43, Vanderbilt 41
A basket from Chelsie Hall on the first possession made it a one possession game but from that point the teams continued to trade buckets with neither team taking more than a one possession lead the entire quarter. Seniors Christa Reed and Rachel Bell came up with some big time shots, including a triple from Bell for her first points in the last three games and kept a 39-36 lead with the Dores. With the game tied up at 41, Tennessee’s Anastasia Hayes hit a jumper with under a minute left to take a slim, 43-41 lead into the final break of the game.

Fourth Quarter: Tennessee 74, Vanderbilt 64
The fourth quarter was about as tight of a quarter as we have seen all season from Vanderbilt. The Commodores tied the game for the fourth time on a layup from Overbeck and with six points from Hall took a 49- 48 lead at the 6:02 mark. Tennessee made three straight shots to pull ahead 56-50 with 3:27 left, forcing the Commodores to take a timeout but The Lady Vols took their largest lead of the game, 63-54 at the 1:22 mark. A pair of free throws from Kayla Overbeck cut into the lead but the Commodores didn’t have an answer for seniors Jamie Nard and Mercedes Russell who combined for 20 points in the fourth quarter. Rachel Bell, who had 10 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter, knocked down back-to-back triples to make it a two possession game with less than a minute remaining but the Lady Vols picked up the road win.

Inside the Lane
-Vanderbilt celebrated the 1992-93 NCAA Final Four team today. The 1992-93 team lead by head coach Jim Foster owns the record for single-season wins and is the only Vanderbilt basketball team – men or women – to reach the Final Four

-Chelsie Hall reached double figures for the third straight game with 19 points

-Kayla Overbeck reached double figures for the third straight game with 13 points

-Christa Reed recorded her sixth straight game in double figures with 12 points.

-Vanderbilt moves to 0-5 against ranked opponents this season.

-Vanderbilt shot 70 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter – the highest field goal percentage in one quarter for the year.

Up Next
The Commodores are back in the road on Thursday with a trip to take on No. 17 Georgia in Athens. Vanderbilt and Georgia will tipoff at 7 PM ET/6 PM CT.

Next Five Games
Feb. 8 – at Georgia, 6 pm
Feb. 12 – at Auburn, 7 pm
Feb. 15 – vs. Mississippi State, 7:30 pm
Feb. 18 – at Florida, 12 pm
Feb. 22- at Missouri, 7 pm

All game times CENTRAL

Keep Up with the Commodores
For more information on the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team check them out on the website at www.vucommodores.com , Twitter at @VandyWBB., Instagram at @VandyWBB and on Facebook at Vandy Hoops.