Dec. 31, 2010
Vanderbilt Game Notes 
| Webcast, Live Stats, Twitter
Vanderbilt 9-4, 0-0 SEC at Ole Miss 7-5, 0-0 SEC
Date: Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011
Time: 2 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Tad Smith Coliseum (9,061)
Radio: 560 AM
TV: None
Webcast: olemisssports.com
Series: Vanderbilt leads 24-14
Last Meeting: Feb. 21, 2010 (Vanderbilt 68 – Ole Miss 59, Oxford, Miss.)
Vanderbilt will open conference play at 2 p.m. Sunday when the Commodores travel to Ole Miss. The Commodores will look to get back to their winning ways after having a 17-point lead fall by the wayside in a 74-68 loss at Virginia Tech in the Hilton Garden Classic Championship on Thursday.
The Commodores had their five-game winning streak snapped and fell to 9-4 overall. Ole Miss (7-5) has not played since Dec. 21 against Miami after canceling their trip to the St. Peter’s College Classic in New Jersey due to the weather in the Northeast.
Sunday will mark Vanderbilt’s seventh game of the season away from Nashville. The Commodores are 2-4 in those games, including a 1-4 mark on the road.
The Rebels are coached by Renee Ladner, who is in her fourth season in Oxford. Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 24-14, but are just 6-11 all-time at Ole Miss. The Commodores had lost three straight at Ole Miss before sweeping the Rebels in both matchups last season.
Vanderbilt has won four straight SEC lid-lifters, but has lost four of its last five SEC road openers. Vanderbilt opened SEC play last season with an 86-72 win over Ole Miss.
Sunday’s game will air on 560 AM in Nashville with play-by-play announcer Charlie Mattos on the call. Fans may also listen to the games online by subscribing to All-Access on VUCommodores.com. A webcast will be available on olemisssports.com.
Last Time Out
Vanderbilt appeared to be well on its way to winning the championship of the Hilton Garden Classic on Thursday night as Vanderbilt led Virginia Tech by as many as 17 points in the first half and held a 15-point lead at intermission. However, the Hokies rode a 31-8 run to open the second half en route to a 74-68 win at Cassell Coliseum.
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak and dropped Vanderiblt to 9-4 overall as the Commodores concluded non-conference play 1-4 on the road. Virginia Tech improved to 9-4 and won their home tournament for the 12th time in the last 13 seasons.
The Commodores were bidding for their first tournament championship away from Nashville since 2003, but they could not withstand the hot shooting by the Hokies in the second half, who made 55.9 percent of their attempts after hitting just 28.1 percent of their shots in the opening frame.
Vanderbilt made 37.3 percent of its shots, but went cold from beyond the arc, hitting just 25.0 percent of its threes, including 15.4 percent (2-of-13) in the second half.
Vanderbilt dug an early 8-2 hole in the game, but just like against the Blue Hens when Vanderbilt used a 21-0 first-half run to take a commanding lead, Vanderbilt would go on voluminous 26-3 run against Virginia Tech to take a 28-11 lead with 2:55 to play in the first half.
Virginia Tech came out firing in the second half and took a 43-42 lead with 13:17 to play. It was its first lead since holding an 8-7 advantage with 12:33 to play in the first half. The Commodores would pull within two, 61-59,with 3:40 to play, but would not lead again.
About Ole Miss
The Rebels have not played since Dec. 21 after having their trip to the St. Peter’s College Classic in New Jersey cancelled Tuesday due to weather in the Northeast. Ole Miss is 6-2 at home this season with losses to Arizona and Miami. The Rebels are coached by Renee Ladner, who is in her fourth season replacing coach Carol Ross. Ross guided Ole Miss to the Elite Eight in 2007.
Ole Miss finished 17-15 last year and 7-9 in the SEC, losing to Samford in the first round of the WNIT. Ole Miss’ last NCAA appearance was in 2007.
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 24-14, but are just 6-11 all-time at Ole Miss. The Commodores had lost three straight at Ole Miss before sweeping the Rebels in both matchups last season.
Head Coach Melanie Balcomb is 6-3 all-time against Ole Miss. The Rebels are one of five SEC teams Vanderbilt will play twice this season.
Rosamond is Former Ole Miss Letterwinner
Fourth-year Vanderbilt assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Kim Rosamond is a former Ole Miss letterwinner and assistant coach. A native of Louisville, Miss., Rosamond graduated in 1998 before spending five years as an assistant coach at Ole Miss.
Rosamond was Ole Miss’ recruiting coordinator when the Rebels landed former All-American Armintie Price. Price is now an assistant at Ole Miss.
Vanderbilt in SEC Openers
Vanderbilt has won four straight SEC lid-lifters. Head Coach Melanie Balcomb is 6-2 all-time in SEC openers at Vanderbilt. Sunday will mark the fourth time Vanderbilt has opened SEC play on the road under Balcomb. Vanderbilt is 1-2 in those games. Vanderbilt last opened its SEC slate on the road in 2009 with an 85-76 win at Alabama.
Vanderbilt in First SEC Road Game
Vanderbilt has lost four of their last five SEC road openers. Vanderbilt lost its first SEC road game last season, falling, 90-76, at Mississippi State. Vanderbilt last opened its SEC slate on the road in 2009 with an 85-76 win at Alabama. Head Coach Melanie Balcomb is 2-6 in SEC road openers.
Tale of Two Halves
Vanderbilt’s two halves against Virginia Tech seemed like entirely different games. Vanderbilt built a 34-19 lead at the half after leading by as many as 17 points, while holding Virginia Tech to just 28.1 percent shooting.
In the second half, the Hokies exploded for 55 points and shot 55.9 percent from the floor to outscore Vanderbilt 55-34 en route to a 74-68 win.
Double-Double Times Two … Again
For the second time this season Vanderbilt had two players notch double-doubles in the same game. On Dec. 30 against Virginia Tech Hannah Tuomi and Stephanie Holzer posted double-doubles. Both had 11 points, while Holzer had a career-high 12 rebounds and Tuomi had 11.
Elan Brown and Tiffany Clarke posted double-doubles in Vanderbilt’s win against Quinnipiac. Brown and Clarke’s double-doubles marked the first time two players had double-doubles in the same game since Nov. 14 2007 when Jennifer Risper and Christina Wirth had double-doubles at Indiana State.
Commodores Go Cold
Vanderbilt leads the SEC in field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw percentage, but the Commodores went cold against Virginia Tech. Vanderbilt shot a season-low 37.3 percent from the floor and made just 25.0 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc.
Welcomed foe on the Road
After starting the season 0-3 on the road for the first time since the 1998-99 season, Vanderbilt earned its first road win on Dec. 19 at Duquesne. However, VU dropped to 1-4 on the road with a loss to Va. Tech. VU is averaging 80.3 points per game in seven home games and 69.4 points per game in five road games.
