Vanderbilt (11-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (2-10, 0-0 Northeast)
Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 • 6:30 p.m. CT
Memorial Gymnasium • Nashville, Tenn. • SEC Network+ • Tickets
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics app • Live Stats • Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team returns from the holiday break this Friday, as the Commodores welcome in Fairleigh Dickinson to Memorial Gymnasium. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and will stream live on SEC Network +.
Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt enters the final weekend of 2023 on a four-game winning streak that has pushed its overall record to 11-1 this season. The Commodores last played on Dec. 20, when Vandy collected a 70-53 victory over Dayton at home. The Dores got a pair of double-doubles from graduate student Jordyn Cambridge (22 pts, 10 reb) and junior Sacha Washington (15 reb, 11 pts) against the Flyers, while sophomore Justine Pissott sank a career-best five 3-pointers en route to a career-high 17 points.
>> The Commodores’ 11-1 start marks the second-best start to a season through the first 12 games in program history. Vanderbilt has held an 11-1 mark through the first 11 games nine different times, with the most recent occurrence taking place during the 2011-12 season.
>> Vandy comes into its matchup against the Knights seeking their best start to a season through 13 games since the 2011-12 campaign. The Commodores opened the 2011-12 season with a 12-1 overall record.
>> Vanderbilt and Fairleigh Dickinson will be meeting for the first time on the hardwood this Friday.
>> The Dores are a perfect 7-0 at home this season, with each win coming against a nonconference foe. Vanderbilt has won nine-straight games against non-SEC teams dating back to last season.
Game Coverage
Friday’s contest will stream live at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+ via the Watch ESPN app. Fans can also listen to the game on the Vanderbilt Commodores app or on 94.9 The Fan in the Nashville area.
Fan Appreciation Day
It will be Fan Appreciation Day this Friday at Memorial Gymnasium. The first 150 fans in Memorial Gymnasium will receive a free Vanderbilt women’s basketball tumbler cup. Click here to buy tickets.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt holds a NET ranking of 57 coming into the weekend, which is a 42-spot improvement from the Commodores’ final NET ranking of the 2022-23 season. The NET is an evaluation tool used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to determine seeding and at-large bids.
Receiving Top-25 Votes
Vanderbilt earned three votes in this week’s USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. It is the first time this season that the Commodores have received votes in either of the major two women’s college basketball polls.
Moving Up the Steals List
Jordyn Cambridge’s 287 career steals are the third-most in program history. The guard needs seven more steals to move past Karen Booker (293; 1984-87) for third on the list.
Success Against Nonconference Teams
The Commodores have won 13 of their last 14 games against nonconference teams. The lone loss during this stretch is an eight-point loss at No. 5/10 NC State back on Nov. 29. Vanderbilt is 31-12 against non-SEC teams under head coach Shea Ralph.
Shooting Efficiency
Junior Sacha Washington and graduate student Jordyn Oliver are one of three pairs of SEC teammates who are shooting over 55% from the field with 30 or more made field goals this season.
Washington enters the week ranked fourth in the SEC with a 55.4% shooting percentage. Washington’s field goal percentage is the 46th-best in NCAA Division I this season. Oliver is shooting 61.8% (34-of-55) from the field this season, which would be second-best in the SEC if she had enough shot attempts to qualify.
Double-Double Duo
Graduate student Jordyn Cambridge and junior Sacha Washington each collected a double-double in the same game for the second time this season in their last outing against Dayton. Cambridge scored 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, while Washington grabbed 15 caroms to go along with 11 points. The duo also had a double-double at UT Martin back on Nov. 9.
Scouting the Knights
Fairleigh Dickinson comes to Nashville looking to snap a three-game losing streak that has put the Knights at 2-10 overall this season. FDU is 0-6 on the road this season, while the Knights hold a NET ranking of 330 heading into the weekend.
Senior Teneisia Brown leads FDU in scoring at 10.6 points per game this season. The 6-2 forward also leads the team in rebounding at 6.2 caroms per game. Brown has collected two double-doubles this season. Senior Abby Conklin is putting up 9.4 points per game and has made a team-best 29 3-point field goals. Conklin is shooting a team-high 39.2% from behind the arc.
FDU is averaging 52.8 points per game and is shooting 34.3% from the field. The Knights are making 30.3% on 3-point field goals and make an average of 6.9 shots from behind the arc per game. Defensively, Fairleigh Dickinson is allowing 63.3 points per game, while teams are shooting 41.2% from the field against the Knights.
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