January 21, 2007

WBB: 'Dores Rally to Defeat Georgia Tech

Jan. 21, 2007

Box Score | AP Photo Gallery

POST-GAME NOTES
WilliamsHOME COOKIN’ Williams’ game-high 21 points came in front of a number of her friends and family. Williams hails from Rockmart, Ga., approximately 45 minutes away from the Gwinnett Center. On Saturday night, the Commodores ate dinner at the Williams’ house on their way to Duluth. MARATHON INCLUDES SPRINT Trailing by nine at the midway point of the second half (46-37), the Commodores turned the game around. Vanderbilt made a 26-0 run, holding Georgia Tech scoreless for nearly eight minutes. Senior Caroline Williams poured in 11 of her game-high 21 points during the run, including two three-pointers and a three-point play. When the dust settled, the Commodores held a 63-46 lead with just under three minutes remaining. QUICK START Vanderbilt opened the game with a 12-3 advantage, connecting on six of its first seven shots. Georgia Tech’s only basket in the opening six and a half minutes came from Jacqua Williams on a desperation three to beat an expiring shot clock two minutes into the game. VU sophomore Christina Wirth made her first four attempts to score eight of the Commodores’ first 12 points. BUZZER BEATER REPEATED The first points of freshman Merideth Marsh’s Vanderbilt career came when the Louisville, Ky., native nailed a half-court rainbow as time expired in the first half of the Commodores game at Colorado. On Sunday against Georgia Tech, Marsh again made a buzzer-beating shot. This time, she drove down the right side of the lane and banked in a leaner to give VU a four-point lead at the break. Officials watched one replay before quickly confirming that Marsh’s shot came before time had expired.

POST-GAME NOTES

WilliamsHOME COOKIN’
Williams’ game-high 21 points came in front of a number of her friends and family. Williams hails from Rockmart, Ga., approximately 45 minutes away from the Gwinnett Center. On Saturday night, the Commodores ate dinner at the Williams’ house on their way to Duluth.

MARATHON INCLUDES SPRINT
Trailing by nine at the midway point of the second half (46-37), the Commodores turned the game around. Vanderbilt made a 26-0 run, holding Georgia Tech scoreless for nearly eight minutes. Senior Caroline Williams poured in 11 of her game-high 21 points during the run, including two three-pointers and a three-point play. When the dust settled, the Commodores held a 63-46 lead with just under three minutes remaining.

QUICK START
Vanderbilt opened the game with a 12-3 advantage, connecting on six of its first seven shots. Georgia Tech’s only basket in the opening six and a half minutes came from Jacqua Williams on a desperation three to beat an expiring shot clock two minutes into the game. VU sophomore Christina Wirth made her first four attempts to score eight of the Commodores’ first 12 points.

BUZZER BEATER REPEATED
The first points of freshman Merideth Marsh’s Vanderbilt career came when the Louisville, Ky., native nailed a half-court rainbow as time expired in the first half of the Commodores game at Colorado. On Sunday against Georgia Tech, Marsh again made a buzzer-beating shot. This time, she drove down the right side of the lane and banked in a leaner to give VU a four-point lead at the break. Officials watched one replay before quickly confirming that Marsh’s shot came before time had expired.

NEXT HOME GAME: January 25 vs. Tennessee – click for tickets

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Caroline Williams scored six points to spark a 26-0 run and No. 14 Vanderbilt recovered from a nine-point deficit midway through the second half to beat Georgia Tech 72-55 on Sunday.

The Commodores’ win gave the Southeastern Conference a two-game sweep over the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Russell Athletic Shootout. Earlier Sunday, Georgia beat Florida State 70-65.

Williams scored 21 points, including the first six points of the 26-0 run, to lead Vanderbilt (17-3).

Janie Mitchell scored 14 points for Georgia Tech (11-8) in her first game since spraining her left knee on Jan. 4. Chioma Nnamaka added 13 points and Stephanie Higgs 11.

Georgia Tech opened the second half with an 18-5 run to take a 42-35 lead after trailing 30-26 at halftime.

Vanderbilt’s troubles increased when point guard Dee Davis left with four fouls at the 11:58 mark.

Tech led by nine points at 46-37 before the Commodores took control. A 3-pointer and three-point play by Williams sparked the big run. Williams added another 3 in the run, which ended with two free throws by Higgs with 2:39 left.

Vanderbilt played its second game in four days in the state of Georgia, following an 83-71 loss to Georgia on Thursday.