Feb. 3, 2011
Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Green’s Photos 
| Season Statistics
Game Highlights | Balcomb, Players Press Conference
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Most games against LSU are low scoring, defensive battles and Thursday was no different for Vanderbilt, who matched LSU’s defensive intensity and scored just enough points to overcome a stingy LSU defense en route to a 55-50 victory over the Lady Tigers on Thursday at Memorial Gym.
The win moved Vanderbilt (15-7 6-3 SEC) to 12-0 at home this season, matching the best home start to a season in school history (34 seasons). The Commodores have now won six of the last eight games against LSU (15-9, 5-5 SEC).
Despite scoring a season-low 55 points — 23 of which came from freshman center Stephanie Holzer — the Commodores posted the highest field-goal percentage of any LSU opponent this season (53.3%). The Lady Tigers entered the game as the SEC’s top defensive team, surrendering just 53.4 points per game, and they lived up to the billing as LSU held Vanderbilt to a season-low 45 field goal attempts and just three three-point attempts.
LSU’s defense had an answer for all the Commodores except Holzer, who posted her third 20-point game of the season, but first since the second game of the year. Seemingly every time, LSU would pull close, it was Holzer, who came through with a bucket.
“She had one foul tonight and she got a lot of minutes which makes a big difference with our team,” Head Coach Melanie Balcomb said of Holzer. “And I think that’s what she was really focused on tonight: making a change, playing smarter. She has a lot of confidence in her face-up game as well as her low post game and I thought we did a really good job of being patient and getting her the basketball down the stretch.”
Vanderbilt held a half game lead for fifth place in the SEC standings before the game began, but a Commodore win coupled with a loss by Auburn vaulted Vanderbilt into fourth place by virtue of the tiebreaker over Auburn.
LSU’s only lead was 11-9 with 11:03 to play in the first half, but the Commodores were never able to pull away from a pesky LSU team.
The Commodores opened up a seven-point lead at the half; however, the Lady Tigers chipped away at Vanderbilt’s advantage and tied the game at 40 with 10:15 to play. The Lady Tigers tied the game on the strength of a 7-0 run after trailing 40-33 with 12:18 to play.
With the game knotted at 40, Vanderbilt would go on a 12-3 run to take its largest lead of the game, 52-43, with 2:57 to play. LSU would pull back within four, 52-48, with 1:15 to play, but wouldn’t get any closer. Fittingly it was Holzer, who scored the final five points for the Commodores.
Also reaching double figures was Jasmine Lister, who finished with 11 points. Jence Rhoads scored nine points and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds. She also dished three assists, which made her the fifth player in school history with 500 assists. The 20-point game was Holzer’s third of the season, but first since the second game of the year.
Vanderbilt held a 28-21 lead at halftime after scoring six of the final eight first half points. The first half featured two lead changes with LSU’s last lead coming at the 11:03 mark. The seven-point lead was VU’s largest of the half.
Vanderbilt jumped out to a 7-0 lead to begin the game as LSU missed its first five shots. However, LSU would score six straight to pull within one.
LSU would take its first lead, 11-9, with a three-pointer by Latear Eason at the 11:03 mark. The three-pointer capped an 11-2 LSU run. The lead would be LSU’s last of the game.
The Commodores will return to the floor on Sunday when they play at Florida at noon CT. The game will air on CSS as well as 560 AM in Nashville.
