Nov. 30, 2016
Event: Air Force Classic
Site: Clune Arena
Teams: Vanderbilt (5-1), Utah Valley (1-6), Air Force (1-5), S. Illinois-Edwardsville (1-4)
Tournament Schedule:
Friday, Dec. 2 (Times are Central)
5:30 p.m. SIUE vs. Utah Valley
8 p.m. Air Force vs. Vanderbilt
Saturday, Dec. 3
2 p.m. Consolation Game
4:30 p.m. Championship Game
Radio info: All of Vanderbilt’s games can be heard on WNSR 560 AM / 95.9 FM with the voice of Vanderbilt WBB, Charlie Mattos, on the call
Online Streaming: The Vanderbilt-Air Force game will be streamed via the Mountain West web site.
Link: HERE
TV: None
Vanderbilt Game Notes: Vanderbilt Notes (AF Classic) 
Riding the momentum of a four-game winning streak, the Vanderbilt women travel to Colorado Springs, Colo., this weekend to participate in the Air Force Classic. The Commodores, who are off to a 5-1 start under first-year head coach Stephanie White, will open the two-day event on Friday night, facing tournament host Air Force at 8 p.m. (CT). Vanderbilt is only team in the tournament that will carry a winning record into the event. The tourney’s other three teams — Utah Valley, Air Force, S. Illinois-Edwardsville — have a combined record of 3-15 and has been outscored by an average of 20.6 points in those 15 losses. Here’s a closer look at the game:
l Update on the Commodores: With a 79-77 road victory over UT Martin on Sunday afternoon, the Commodores earned their first road win of the Stephanie White Era and stretched their overall winning streak to four games. … Individually, the Commodores are led in scoring by Rebekah Dahlman at 14.5 points per game. Dahlman also leads the teams assists at 4.8 apg and ranks among the SEC leaders in multiple categories (More on Dahlman below). … Marqu’es Webb is averaging a team-high 9.7 rebounds per game.
l What’s trending: The Commodores are shooting 42.7 percent from 3-point range through the first six games, which ranks fifth in the nation (as of Wednesday) and ranks No. 1 in the SEC. …. Vanderbilt is averaging 8.8 three-pointers per game, which leads the SEC and ranks 19th in the nation. … The Commodores are ranked 22nd in the nation and No. 2 in the SEC in free throw percentage (78.0). … Vanderbilt is ranked No. 2 in the SEC and 37th in the country in total assists.
l Dahlman getting it done: Redshirt junior guard Rebekah Dahlman is thriving in Stephanie White’s up-tempo style. Dahlman is averaging a team-high 14.5 points per game — compared to 8.6 ppg last season — and is shooting a sizzling 60.9 percent from 3-point range, which ranks fifth in the nation and second in the SEC. Dahlman also leads the conference in free throw percentage (90.6) and 3-pointers made (14).
l Marqu’es marching toward 500: Marqu’es Webb is zooming toward the 500-rebound mark for her career. With her four boards on Sunday against UT Martin, she now has 498. Webb has posted double-digit rebounding totals in three games this season.
AT A GLANCE: AIR FORCE
Record entering the tournament: 1-5
Conference: Mountain West
Leading Scorer / Rebounder: Mariah Forde 9.0 ppg / Dee Bennett 7.5 rpg
Most recent game: Air Force fell to Navy 64-46 on Nov. 29.
About the Falcons: Air Force has posted a 5-95 record in its past 100 games dating back to mid-February of 2013. … This season, Air Force ranks 312th in scoring average (55 ppg), 310th in field-goal percentage (33.6) and 302nd in 3-point percentage (26.4).
All-time record vs. Vanderbilt: 0-1
Most recent meeting vs. Vanderbilt: The Commodores hosted Air Force last season, with Vanderbilt posting an 86-29 win on Nov. 30, 2015.
AT A GLANCE: UTAH VALLEY
Record entering the tournament: 1-6
Conference: Western Athletic Conference
Leading Scorer / Rebounder: Mariah Seals 13.9 ppg / Taylor Gordon 6.4 rpg
Most recent game: Utah Valley downed Pepperdine 72-65 on Nov. 29
About the Wolverines: Utah State posted a winning record last season, finishing 16-15 overall, but has had a difficult time defensively this season. The Wolverines are allowing 75.4 points per game, which ranks 315th in the country, and opponents are shooting 45.9 percent from the floor against them, which ranks 327th in the nation.
All-time record vs. Vanderbilt: 0-0
Most recent meeting vs. Vanderbilt: N/A
AT A GLANCE: SIUE
Record entering the tournament: 1-4
Conference: Ohio Valley
Leading Scorer / Rebounder: Donshel Beck 13.0 ppg / Donshel Beck 6.4
Most recent game: SIUE dropped a 76-74 decision at home to Western Illinois on Nov. 27.
About the Cougars: SIUE went 18-16 last season, but has endured a tough start this season. The Cougars rank 318th in the country in defense (allowing 76.4 ppg) and 314th in defensive field goal percentage (44.7)
All-time record vs. Vanderbilt: 0-0
Most recent meeting vs. Vanderbilt: N/A
l This and that: With Sunday’s victory at UT Martin, the Commodores finished November with a 5-1 record. It was the first time since the 2011 that Vanderbilt emerged from November with less than two losses. (VU went 5-2 in November in each of the past two seasons, 6-2 in 2013 and 4-3 in 2012. Vanderbilt was 7-0 in November of 2011). … Vanderbilt has three players who rank among the SEC’s Top-10 in career 3-pointers among active players: Rebekah Dahlman ranks sixth with 115, Christa Reed ranks ninth with 83, and Rachel Bell is 10th with 79. … The Commodores made 14 3-pointers against Kennesaw State in the season opener(finishing 14-of-26), which represents the most 3-pointers by an SEC team in a game this season.
l VU’s most recent game: Rachel Bell scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and also came up with a crucial blocked shot in the final five seconds to help Vanderbilt escape past UT Martin, 79-77, on the road on Sunday. Bell finished with a team-high 22 points for the Commodores (5-1), who won their fourth straight game. Bell made 5-of-6 shots from the floor in the fourth quarter, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Rebekah Dahlman finished with 17 points while helping Vanderbilt stretch its winning streak in the series to 11 games. The Commodores finished 13-of-22 from 3-point range. The contest featured 11 lead changes and wasn’t decided until UT Martin’s Emanye Robertson missed a contested shot under the basket at the final buzzer.
l New leader: Stephanie White is in her first season with the Commodores after being named head coach on May 24. White won her debut with the Commodores on Nov. 11 when Vanderbilt defeated Kennesaw State 96-54 at Memorial Gym. Becoming just the fifth head coach in the program’s history, White replaced former head coach Melanie Balcomb, who resigned in April after 14 seasons with the team. White came to Vanderbilt after spending two seasons as head coach of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. She led the team to the playoffs each season, including guiding the Fever to the 2015 WNBA Finals in her rookie season to become the first rookie coach in league history to take a team to the finals. During her playing career, she was a standout at Purdue, where she earned national player of the year honors after helping lead the Boilermakers to the 1999 NCAA championship. Her coach that season was Carolyn Peck, who now the associate coach on White’s staff at Vanderbilt.
l Mad success at Memorial: With Tuesday’s win over RMU, the Commodores have now posted a 49-3 record against non-conference foes at Memorial Gym since the start of the 2010-11 campaign, and have won 13 straight non-con home games … Dating back to the start of the 2002-03 season, VU owns a 99-8 record on its home floor in regular-season, non-conference games, including going 18-1 against non-conference opponents at home since the start of the 2014-15 season.
l Looking ahead: After the trip to Colorado, the Commodores have only a one-day break before returning to action on Monday, Dec. 5, hosting Tulane.
