Dec. 16, 2014
Teams: Vanderbilt (7-2) at Marquette (2-7)
Day, Date: Thursday, Dec. 18
Tip-off time: Noon (CT)
Site: Al McGuire Center (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Radio: 560 AM & 95.9 FM
Online Streaming: HERE
The Vanderbilt WBB team had a productive trip to Wisconsin last month, and now the Commodores are hoping to do it again. After traveling to the capital city of Madison on Nov. 20 and posting a 67-58 victory over Wisconsin, the Commodores (7-2) return to the Badger state on Thursday to face Marquette (2-7) in a rare mid-week matinee contest that will have a noon tipoff. Vanderbilt enters the game on a two-game winning streak that included Sunday’s 66-50 victory at Elon. Here are a few storylines surrounding Thursday’s game.
l RUNNING WITH THE YOUNG CROWD. The Marquette WBB program is hosting Education Day for Thursday’s game against the Commodores, which is the reason for the unusual tipoff time (noon, CT). Marquette officials are expecting several large groups of school-aged children for the game, and there is certain to be plenty of high-pitched screaming throughout the contest. The noisy environment isn’t likely to throw the Commodores out of sync. They hosted their own Education Day on Nov. 24 at Memorial Gym, and and roughly 3,000 children watched the Commodores beat St. Louis, 75-57. Vanderbilt officials plan for Education Day to become an annual event.
l BOWE IS BACK. Vanderbilt junior post player Heather Bowe saw her first action of the season during Sunday’s 66-50 win over Elon, and she made an immediate impact by scoring a team-high 15 points. Bowe, who became eligible for the game after completing a suspension for violation for academic policy, had not played in a game since Feb. 23 of last season. “I was very grateful for the chance to be back out there again,” said Bowe after Sunday’s win. “The past few months have been tough. But I had such great support around me — from my family, the coaches, my teammates and the fans.”
l SPEAKING OF BOWE … Thursday’s game against Marquette is sure to be special for Bowe, who is a Wisconsin native. Her hometown is Eau Claire, Wis. — which is about a four-hour drive from Milwaukee — and she was a high-school standout at Regis High (in Eau Claire).
l MARQUETTE SEEKS MOMENTUM. The Golden Eagles (2-7), members of the Big East, will carry a four-game losing streak into Thursday’s contest. The skid started with a 69-65 home loss to South Dakota on Nov. 30, followed by back-to-back road losses — a 79-53 setback at Auburn and an 89-64 defeat at Wisconsin. The Golden Eagles then suffered a home loss to Northern Kentucky, 77-68, in their most recent contest on Monday night. … Marquette’s two wins this season have both come at home — an 86-71 win over Loyola on Nov. 17 and an 85-80 win against Milwaukee on Nov. 26).
l SCOUTING MARQUETTE. The Golden Eagles have a pair of players averaging double figures in scoring, including 5-9 freshman Kenisha Bell, who is averaging a team-high 15.3 points per game. Bell is also the team’s leading shot blocker, with 24 for the season. Ariesia Morse, a 5-10 senior guard, is averaging 13.7 points per game, and is Marquette’s most fearless outside shooter, having made 19-of-51 shots (37 percent) from 3-point range. Morse leads the Golden Eagles in rebounding at 6.9 per game. … Marquette is averaging 68.3 points per game, but has struggled on the defensive end, allowing an average of 81.2 points per game. … The Golden Eagles are coached by Carolyn Kieger, a former Marquette star who is in her first year at the helm. As a player at Marquette from 2002-2006, Kieger was a four-year starter, three-year captain and is MU’s all-time assists leader. She is the only player in program history with at least 1,200 career points, 400 career rebounds and 600 assists.
l COMMON OPPONENTS. Vanderbilt and Marquette have both faced Green Bay and Wisconsin this season. The Commodores defeated each of those teams, knocking off Green Bay 68-64 in overtime in Nashville on Nov. 17, and winning at Wisconsin, 67-58, on Nov. 20. Marquette lost to Green Bay at home, 94-66 on Nov. 15 and fell to Wisconsin, 89-64, on the road on Dec. 6.
l SIZING UP THE SERIES. Today’s game represents just the second time that Vanderbilt and Marquette have faced each other. The first meeting between the teams came last season in Nashville on Nov. 17, when the Golden Eagles overcame a 14-point deficit and stunned the Commodores, 82-77. … Last year’s contest saw the teams combine for a staggering 63 fouls and 74 free throws. Marqu’es Webb, Kylee Smith and Morgan Batey all fouled out for Vanderbilt. … Former Commodore star Christina Foggie scored 30 points (four shy of matching her career high) in last year’s game while going 16-of-18 at the foul line. She was joined in double figures by Jasmine Lister with 13 points, Rebekah Dahlman with 12 and Jasmine Jenkins 10. Vanderbilt owned a 47-36 lead at the half, but the Golden Eagles rallied to hand the Commodores their first loss of the season.
l MO BATEY, PLEASE. Junior guard Morgan Batey is doing it all for the Commodores this season — almost in the literal sense. She has played all five positions, and ranks among the team leaders in multiple categories. She had 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds in Sunday’s win over Elon, which marked her second straight double-double and her third of the season. Batey leads the team in rebounding (6.8 per game) and is ranked third on the team in both scoring (9.6 ppg) and assists (2.0).
l MILEAGE ADDING UP. Thursday’s game represents Vanderbilt’s second straight road game and the sixth game away from home this season. During November, the Commodores made a trip to Wisconsin (Nov. 20), and then played three games in the Gulfcoast Showcase in Estero, Fla., during the Thanksgiving break. The Commodores next home game is Dec. 21, when they host Dayton. The game will feature the annual Teddy Bear Toss promotion at Memorial Gym.
