Feb. 29, 2012
Photos of Wednesday’s Practice | 
Sights and Sounds: Dores at Bridgestone
Tournament time starts right here in Nashville with the Southeastern Conference hosting it’s annual women’s basketball tournament this week at Bridgestone Arena for the second consecutive year.
Even though the commute from West End to downtown takes only a few minutes, Vanderbilt will be treating the event like a road trip. Players and staff were given a travel itinerary just like any other game outside of Memorial Gym during the regular season.
The Commodores checked into their hotel Wednesday night after enjoying a pre-tournament dinner at Fleming’s. Earlier in the day, Vanderbilt bused over to the Bridgestone Arena for a 45-minute practice to get a feel for the facility before Thursday’s first round matchup with Mississippi State. All eight teams slated to play on the first day were able to take advantage of the open court time.
Head Coach Melanie Balcomb and her staff also held a closed practice at Memorial Gym later in the day to go deeper into the Dores’ game plan for the Bulldogs.
The players will get an early wake-up call Thursday morning with shootaround scheduled for 7:45 a.m. at the arena. The game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be televised by SportSouth.
Here are news and notes heading into the tournament…
Not Looking Ahead
Coach Balcomb and her team have been peppered with questions all week about the possibility of playing instate rival Tennessee in the second round of the SEC Tournament. The Commodores aren’t falling for the bait, though, and keep reminding reporters that they’re focused solely on a scrappy Bulldogs team.
And rightfully so. While Vanderbilt brings a four-game winning streak in the series into Thursday’s game, the young Commodores had to scratch and claw to get a 65-59 victory in their first meeting on Feb. 5 in Starkville.
Mississippi State forced 19 turnovers in that contest (14 in the first half) by successfully pressuring and trapping Vanderbilt’s guards. The Commodores were also held to 2-of-14 from three-point range and gave up 15 offensive rebounds. With the game tied at 54-54 and under four minutes left, VU made good decisions and executed down the stretch to pull out the win.
“We’re going to have to fight,” junior forward Tiffany Clarke. “It’s not going to be easy. That’s why we’re not trying to overlook it. It’s not going to be an easy game. It’s not a guaranteed W. We’re going to have to fight and scrap to the last minute of that game.”
Vanderbilt got the best of Mississippi State three times last year including in the second round of the conference tournament. It’s worth noting that the Bulldogs, who were the No. 11 seed, pulled off a 49-47 upset over No. 6 seed Auburn, on the first day.
As for the Tennessee matchup?
“We’re not even focusing on (Tennessee),” Clarke said. “We have to get to that game first. We’re definitely only focusing on Mississippi State right now.”
“We have to earn every round we play in,” added sophomore guard Christina Foggie. “Right now we’re really focused on playing Mississippi State. After that, we’ll worry about what happens after.”
In it to Win it
Balcomb has won three SEC Tournament titles in nine seasons at Vanderbilt. And if things go perfectly this week, you can bet she’ll happily make room for a fourth trophy on her mantle.
“We’re here to win the SEC Championship,” said Balcomb, when asked how NCAA Tournament seeding factored into this week’s results. “That’s what we come here for. We’re not worried about the NCAA Tournament because we don’t have control of that. The only thing we can control is winning games. You never know until they call your name unless you get the automatic bid. So we’re here to try to win the automatic bid so we’re assured to get in.”
Some critics believe that this is one of the most wide-open SEC Tournaments since its birth in 1980. Kentucky comes in as the top seed after securing their first SEC regular season title since 1982. Balcomb pointed out that even Kentucky had trouble at times in the balanced league.
“In February, you had the team that was at the bottom of the conference (Alabama) beat the team that was at the top of this conference (Kentucky),” she said. “That really opens up some eyes and shakes up the conference. It’s basically saying that from top to bottom anybody can do anything.
“Everybody keeps asking me `Who’s hot?’ Well, whoever was home was hot this year, and no one’s home (this week). That’s what makes it look great for a tournament. Everybody’s been able to play well at home and not on the road, but now it’s neutral. I can’t wait to see what teams do now that it is neutral.”
Vanderbilt has a difficult road to the championship and must win four games in four days to do so. It’s not impossible, though. Just look back to 2004 when the Commodores marched through the bracket as the No. 6 seed to take home the top prize. The location of that tournament? Bridgestone Arena.
“It will be tough and it’s going to be a challenge but it’s definitely doable especially how every SEC team is this year,” Clarke said. “It’s really anybody’s title this year.”
Quotable
“I love March Madness. This is crunch time. This is time where you can’t mess around. I think that really gets me going and gets me excited.”
— Tiffany Clarke on her success at the SEC Tournament last year. Clarke earned All-SEC Tournament honors with 23 points and nine rebounds against Mississippi State, and 18 points and 17 rebounds versus Kentucky.
On the Look Out
Yes, Mississippi State’s super-talented guards Diamber Johnson and Porsha Porter get a lot of pub for their play, but watch out for freshman Martha Alwal. The 6’4 center, who made the SEC All-Freshman team Wednesday, leads the SEC with 2.8 blocked shots per game which is good for 16th overall in the country.
Fun Time
Bridgestone Arena is home to some of the biggest entertainment events in the country. When she can find time outside of her busy work schedule, even Balcomb will take in a show or two at the popular venue.
“I’ve been to the CMAs and all kinds of events,” she said. “I think the last time I was here was the Chelsea Lately comedy concert. I do a lot of comedy. My job is very stressful, so it’s good for me to get out and laugh a lot. Sometimes I like to just sit back and be in the stands and be a fan. I don’t get to do that a lot.”
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