Nov. 2, 2006
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — All 12 players, including six newcomers, contributed to a convincing exhibition victory, as the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team defeated DT3, 94-64, Thursday night at Memorial Gymnasium.
Head Coach Melanie Balcomb had emptied her bench by the 8:00 mark of the first half, as the Commodores used a 25-2 run midway through the period to take control of the game.
“Everyone was going to get in tonight. They all just needed to get their feet wet,” Balcomb said of the five true freshmen and one redshirt-freshman on her lineup. “I think this is the most depth we’ve had in the five years that I’ve been here. Hopefully that will help us down the stretch and help us stay healthy into the SEC portion of the season.”
Senior Carla Thomas and sophomore Christina Wirth provided Vanderbilt’s early scoring, combining for the team’s first 14 points. Wirth would lead the Commodores with 16, while Thomas contributed 14 points.
Vanderbilt forced its opponent into 12 first-half turnovers and held DT3 to 22% shooting over the first 20 minutes. Seven different players recorded steals in the game for Vanderbilt, with the Commodores scoring 18 points off DT3 turnovers.
Freshman Jessica Mooney, from Nashville’s Hillsboro High School, scored all of her 10 points in the second half, as the Commodores’ featured a lineup with four true freshmen and redshirt-freshman Amy Malo on two different occasions.
Freshmen Merideth Marsh and Lauren Lueders saw time at the point, relieving senior All-Southeastern Conference selection Dee Davis. Davis had seven assists and seven rebounds in 18 minutes of action. Marsh had nine points — including a three-pointer and two three-point plays.
On Wednesday night, DT3 took Florida State to overtime before falling, 90-76. The squad will also travel to Cincinnati and Mississippi during the Fall.
Vanderbilt will play host to its final exhibition contest of the 2006 preseason when Premier Players visits Memorial Gymnasium on Monday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. CT.