Jan. 3, 2012
The No. 24/21 Vanderbilt women’s basketball team enters 2012 with a 12-1 record as they embark upon SEC play Thursday, January 5, at South Carolina.
Head Coach Melanie Balcomb’s squad got off to a 10-0 start and rebounded nicely with a pair of victories over Florida State and Western Carolina following their only defeat of the season at NC State.
Leading the way has been a pair of sophomore guards – Christina Foggie and Jasmine Lister. The pair can score and distribute, as evidenced by Foggie’s rank in the top 50 in scoring (17.7 points per game) and Lister’s rank in assists per game of 18th in the nation (5.8 per game).
Foggie is also third nationally in three-point field goal percentage (50.0%) and has helped the Commodores be ranked first in the nation as a team in that category (43.8%). Vanderbilt also shoots well inside the arc, as they rank fifth in the country in field goal percentage at 48.6.
The women’s basketball world has started to take notice of the young Vanderbilt team, including ESPN.com’s Mechelle Voepel. One of the top national writers in women’s basketball, Voepel visited Memorial Gym for the win over No. 12 Oklahoma that propelled the Commodores into the national rankings.
She highlighted the play of Lister and Foggie, including Foggie’s journey back from post-concussion syndrome after suffering a scary concussion in a game at Bowling Green as a freshman.
The story, which has been a featured headline on ESPN.com’s women’s basketball page the past few days, is available here.
The Commodores have kept it rolling despite the injury bug hitting squad that has just 11 players and only one senior in Jordan Coleman. Junior guard Gabby Smith has played in just one game this season as a result of a concussion suffered in the preseason, while freshman guard Maggie Morrison was lost for the season prior to the NC State game with a knee injury. Vanderbilt also received a scare in their last contest when Foggie left with a shoulder injury, but she is day-to-day.
In addition to the action on the court the Commodores have provided this year, there are several exciting events coming up for home games at Memorial Gym.
Sunday’s SEC home opener versus Ole Miss will be the first of three Sunday contests in January to feature an autograph session and mini-clinic after the game. Tipoff for that contest on Sunday, January 8, is set for 2:00 p.m. There will also be autographs and mini-clinics after games versus South Carolina on January 22 and LSU on January 29.
Those South Carolina and LSU games will not just feature the post-game events. The showdown with the Gamecocks will be the annual Jam the Gym day, with all tickets costing just $1.
The contest with LSU will be the annual Pink Out game, as part of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Assocation’s Play4Kay (previously known as PinkZone). The goal is to raise awareness for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in memory of the late NC State coach.
Breast cancer is not the only disease the Commodores will be helping to fight this season. Earlier today, it was announced the entire Southeastern Conference would be participating in We Back Pat Week January 15-22.
Vanderbilt will use its home game versus South Carolina to help raise awareness for the Pat Summitt Foundation Fund. The fund was launched last November by Tennessee Head Coach Pat Summitt following her diagnosis with early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type, at the age of 59.
Summitt and the Lady Vols visit Memorial Gym on February 9. In addition to already mentioned games, the Commodores will also play host to Georgia on January 26, Florida on February 16 and Alabama on February 26.
It’s an exciting time for those in Middle Tennessee and beyond to follow the Commodore women’s basketball team, which is seeking its 13th consecutive 20-win season and NCAA Tournament bid.
Vanderbilt won’t have to travel far to make a deep run in March, as the 2012 SEC Tournament is being held just 2.5 miles down the road from campus at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
The Commodores can then return to West End for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship at Memorial Gym on March 18 & 20. For ticket information, click here. Remember, Vanderbilt is guaranteed to play at home if they receive a tournament bid.
There are eight home games remaining in the regular season against some of the best competition in the country, so don’t miss your chance to see this young and exciting Vanderbilt team.
