(RV/24) Vanderbilt (15-1, 2-0 SEC) at Kentucky (8-8, 1-1 SEC)
Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024 • 6 p.m. CT
Rupp Arena • Lexington, Ky. • SEC Network+
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Notes
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 24-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team puts its perfect SEC record on the line this Thursday, as the Commodores hit the road to take on Kentucky. Tipoff against the Wildcats is set for 6 p.m. CT from Rupp Arena and will stream live on SEC Network+.
Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt enters the week with a 15-1 record overall and a perfect 2-0 mark in SEC play. The Commodores picked up a 63-57 win over Florida at Memorial Gymnasium this past Sunday to remain undefeated in SEC action. Graduate student Jordyn Cambridge scored a game-high 24 points, while junior Iyana Moore extended her double-digit scoring streak to four games with a 20-point performance. It is the first time that both Cambridge and Moore have each scored 20 or more points in the same game at Vanderbilt.
>> The Commodores are off to their first 2-0 start in the SEC since the 2012-13 season. Vanderbilt heads to Kentucky looking for its first 3-0 start in league play since the 2008-09 campaign.
>> At 15-1 overall this season, Vanderbilt is off to its second-best start in school history. Only the 1992-93 team has had a better start, as that Commodore squad opened the year at 17-0 en route to the program’s only NCAA Final Four appearance.
>> Thursday’s matchup between the Commodores and Wildcats will be the 60th meeting all-time between the two schools. Vanderbilt holds the all-time series lead 32-27. The Commodores won the last matchup against UK, taking a 79-57 decision at Memorial Gymnasium back on Feb. 19, 2023. The Dores will be seeking back-to-back wins against Kentucky for the first time since winning 13-straight games against the Wildcats from Jan. 13, 2000, to Feb. 8, 2009.
>> The Dores are 11-15 all-time against UK in Lexington. Vanderbilt has dropped three-straight games to the Wildcats in Lexington, with the last road win against Kentucky coming on Jan. 28, 2016. Thursday’s contest will be played at Rupp Arena, as Memorial Coliseum is undergoing renovations this season.
Game Coverage
Thursday’s contest will stream live at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. Fans can also listen to the game on the Vanderbilt Commodores app or on 94.9 The Fan in the Nashville area.
Break into the Top 25
Vanderbilt made its season debut in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll this week, as the Commodores came in at No. 24. It is the first time since Feb. 18, 2014, that the Dores have been featured in the USA Today/WBCA Top 25.
Picking Up AP Top 25 Votes
Vanderbilt is on the brink of being ranked in both major college women’s basketball polls, as the Commodores were the top team receiving votes in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 with 38 votes, 30 votes shy of No. 25-ranked UNLV.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt holds a NET ranking of 52 coming into Thursday’s game. The Commodores have the seventh-best NET ranking in the SEC entering conference play. The NET is an evaluation tool used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to determine seeding and at-large bids.
Collecting the Wins
Vanderbilt’s 15 wins this season are tied for the most in the nation this season. The Commodores are one of five NCAA Division I schools that have won 15 games this season. Vandy’s 93.8% winning percentage is currently tied for the fourth-best winning percentage in NCAA Division I.
Winning Streak
Vanderbilt comes into Thursday on an eight-game winning streak. It is the longest winning streak for the Commodores under head coach Shea Ralph, while it is Vandy’s longest winning streak since rolling off nine-consecutive victories back during the 2016-17 campaign.
Elite Company
Graduate student Jordyn Cambridge is one of two SEC players who lead their team in scoring (14.9 ppg), assists (4.4 apg), and steals (4.3 spg). Florida’s Aliyah Matharu is the other.
Scouting the Wildcats
Kentucky comes into Thursday’s game against Vanderbilt sporting an 8-8 overall record and a 1-1 mark in SEC play. The Wildcats are 8-2 in home games this season and have won four-straight games in Lexington. UK currently holds a NET ranking of 151.
Senior Ajae Petty paces the Wildcats, as the 6-3 forward is averaging a double-double this season at 16.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Petty is shooting 58.3% from the field and has collected nine double-doubles this season. Fellow senior Maddie Scherr is also averaging double-digit points, as the 5-11 guard is putting up 14.5 points per game and is shooting 38% from the field.
The Wildcats average 66.6 points per game this season, while UK is shooting 41.9% from the floor and 28% on 3-point field goals. Defensively, Kentucky is allowing 72.2 points per game this season. Teams are shooting 44.8% from the field against UK, while connecting on 29.9% of their shots from behind the arc.
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