Feb. 5, 2009
Vanderbilt 79 – Alabama 74
February 5, 2009 – Memorial Gym
Attendance: 13,850
With the win, the Commodores move to 14-8 overall, and 3-5 in SEC play. Alabama goes to 13-9 overall, 3-5 in the SEC.
Vanderbilt also moves to 62-64 all time against the Crimson Tide, and 39-19 all time in Memorial Gym. The Commodores have now captured the last 10 games played in Memorial Gym between the schools, a streak that dates back to the 1989-90 season.
The Commodores also move to 9-4 this season in Memorial Gym.
Commodore Starters
– The Vanderbilt starters were junior Jermaine Beal, sophomore A.J. Ogilvy, redshirt freshman Festus Ezeli, and freshmen Jeffery Taylor and Brad Tinsley. It is the 57th career start for Beal (and 52nd straight). Both totals are team highs. George Drake, an Alabama native who started in the Commodores’ last four games, did not dress due after suffering a hip pointer in practice Wednesday. Reserve guard Jamie Graham also was out of uniform due to an illness.
First Half Notes – Vanderbilt 36 Alabama 43
– Brad Tinsley’s 3-pointer at the 17:53 mark extended Vanderbilt’s streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 720. The streak dates back to when the three-point line was established in the 1986-87 season. The Commodores ranks second in Division I basketball only to UNLV’s 727-game streak in Division I basketball. Vanderbilt, UNLV and Princeton (614) are the only three schools in college basketball to accomplish this feat.
– Vanderbilt took its first lead of the game with 13:58 left in the first half, with Beal’s three-pointer giving the Commodores a 12-9 advantage. Alabama came back with a 13-2 run to take a 22-14 advantage.
– With 6:36 left, Ogilvy made just the fourth 3-pointer of his career to close an Alabama deficit to 27-23. Ogilvy came back to hit another at the 5:00 mark. It was just the second time in his career that Ogilvy has knocked down two 3-pointers in a game.
– The seven-point deficit at halftime is the Commodores’ third in four SEC games played in Memorial Gym.
– Vanderbilt converted on 41.9% of its field goal attempts (13 of 31) in the opening half while Alabama was 50% (15 of 30). The Tide also outrebounded the Commodores by six (20-14), posted a 10-2 advantage in fast break points, and produced seven more second chance points (13-6). Ogilvy was the Commodores’ leading scorer (8 points) and rebounder (4).
Second Half Notes
– With Drake out of action, the Commodore attack was adversely affected at the 18:35 mark when Taylor went to the bench with his third foul.
– Vanderbilt closed the Alabama margin to one, 49-48, on a 3-pointer by Charles Hinkle at the 15:43 mark. It is the closest Vanderbilt has been to the lead when 12:51 left in the first half when Lance Goulbourne’s dunk tied the score 14-14.
– The Commodores took their first lead (50-49) since early in the game with Ogilvy’s basket with 14:40 left. The Commodores’ last previous lead was 12-11 with 13:28 left in the first half. Tinsley pushed the margin to four (53-49) with a jumper at the 12:47 mark, capping a 14-2 Vanderbilt run. The Commodores pushed the lead to seven (58-51) seconds later Beal’s behind-the-back assist to a streaking Taylor resulted in a layup. The Commodores built the lead to 11 (62-51) on a 3-pointer by Beal, capping at 24-6 run.
– After Alabama cut a Commodore lead of 11 points to four (72-68), Ogilvy pushed the margin back to eight (76-68) with four straight points, including a 3-pointer. The teams went into the final media timeout with Vanderbilt holding a slim 76-74 lead after a pair of Crimson Tide 3-pointers.
– Vanderbilt had several chances to increase the lead in the closing minutes but missed five consecutive foul shots and five straight field goal attempts.
– With 17.4 seconds left, Beal gave the Commodores a four-point margin (78-74) by hitting both ends of a free-throw opportunity.
– Vanderbilt outscored the Crimson Tide 43-31 in the second half.
Postgame Notes – Vanderbilt 79 Alabama 74
– The win is the first for the Commodores after trailing at halftime. Vanderbilt is now 1-8 on the season when facing a deficit at intermission.
– The Commodores shoot 53.6% from the field after intermission (15 of 28), and held Alabama to just nine baskets in 28 attempts (32%).
– Vanderbilt had two 20-point scorers (Beal and Ogilvy) in a game for the first time since both totaled 20 points in a win over South Florida Dec. 16 in the SEC-Big East Challenge.
– Vanderbilt struggled at the foul throw after intermission. After hitting all six attempts in the first half, the Commodores were just seven of 18 on charity shots in the second half. It marks the second consecutive disappointing performance from the line in games that the Commodores would eventually capture.
– For the second consecutive game, the Commodores matched a career high with 10 3-pointers. The squad was 10 of 26 against Alabama after hitting 10 of 17 in a win at Auburn last Saturday.
– Though outrebounded by a 40-33 margin, the Commodores enjoyed a 18-12 advantage in assists, committed four less turnovers, and forced six more steals than the visiting Alabama squad.
Individual Notes
– Due in part to Drake’s absence, Beal became the first Commodore to play all 40 minutes. He finished sharing the team high with 20 points – his second consecutive outing to reach at least 20 points – and a season-high eight assists. He has achieved more assists only once before (vs. Georgia Tech, 12/1/2007). Beal also continued to shoot well from the outside, hitting four of eight 3-point attempts.
– Ogilvy had his best game of the season against Southeastern Conference competition, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. All three totals are season highs against SEC teams for the sophomore center who continues to play through pain.
