Complete Set
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#6/#6
Vanderbilt (20-5, 6-3)
vs.
#25/nr Mississippi State (16-7, 7-3)
Sunday, February 10, 2002 • 4 pm CT
Memorial Gym (14,168) • Nashville, Tenn.
COMCAST TV
Vanderbilt
Commodores (20-5, 6-3)
Pos. No. Name Ht. Cl. PPG RPG
F 13 Zuzi Klimesova 6-2 Sr. 16.2 7.3
F 42 Jenni Benningfield 6-3 So. 5.6 3.9
C 21 Chantelle Anderson 6-6 Jr. 20.4 6.0
G 33 Jillian Danker 6-1 Sr. 9.0 3.0
G 22 Ashley McElhiney 5-6 Jr. 8.6 2.2
Miss State Lady Bulldogs (16-7, 7-3)
Pos. No. Name Ht. Cl. PPG RPG
F 32 LaToya Thomas 6-2 Jr. 24.3 9.7
C 44 Lyndi Sippel 6-2 So. 2.9 1.0
G 12 Renea Jones 5-7 Jr. 4.7 1.4
G 14 Tan White 5-8 Fr. 19.2 7.6
G 21 Keisha Stringfellow 5-9 Jr. 3.8 3.1
The Vanderbilt/Mississippi State Series
This is the 35th game between these two teams with Vanderbilt
holding a 23-10 lead in the series. VU owns a 12-1 record
against the Lady Bulldogs in Memorial Gym with the lone
loss coming in 1981. Last season, Chantelle Anderson scored
a Vanderbilt record 41 points, but it wasn't enough as the
18th-ranked Commodores fell to Mississippi State, 71-62,
in Starkville, Miss.. Anderson entered the contest as the
nation's leader in field goal percentage and strengthened
her hold on that spot as she made 15 of 17 field goal attempts.
The rest of the Commodores were a combined eight-for-27.
Vanderbilt and the RPIs
WBCA/SUMMERVILLE RPI: • As of Feb. 6, Vanderbilt is
ranked 7th with a .65498 RPI, while Tennessee is ranked
1st (.72947). Connecticut is second, followed by Oklahoma,
Purdue and Duke. The Southeastern Conference ranks first
in the nation with a .59771. The Big XII is second in the
nation with a .59620 rating. Vanderbilt’s strength
of schedule is ranked fifth in the nation. Mississippi State
is ranked 29th in the RPI with the 65th toughest schedule
in the nation.
Foster Nearing 500
• Head Coach Jim Foster is nearing the 500 career victory
mark. Foster is in his 24th year as a head coach and owns
a 494-223 record. Prior to his Vanderbilt years, Foster
coached 13 years at St. Joseph’s and owned a record
of 248-126. His Vanderbilt record is 246-97. He is four
victories shy of 250 at Vanderbilt and six shy of 500 career
wins.
Real Head Coach
• In the January 11 REAL SPORTS poll, the question
asked fans “With the game on the line, which coach
do you want drawing up your team’s final play? Vanderbilt’s
Jim Foster was one of the coaches who made the short list
along with his former assistants Geno Auriemma (Connecticut)
and Muffet McGraw (Notre Dame).
Sharp Shooters
• The Commodores picked up where they left off last
season with a hot shooting hand. VU led the nation in field
goal percentage – men and women - last season hitting
54.5 percent from the field.
• For the season VU owns a nation-leading 53.4 percent
mark hitting 688-1288 from the field. That is the best mark
for a men’s or women’s team.
• The Commodores shot a school record 71.4 percent
at Western Kentucky connecting on 35-49 shots, including
12-19 from 3-point range.
O’Charley’s Dinner of Champions
Anderson was a finalist for two awards at the 4th Annual
O’Charley’s Dinner of Champions held February
8 at the Opryland Hotel. Anderson was a finalist for the
2001 Amateur Athletics Award and the 2001 Sports Person
of the Year.
A pre-season Naismith Candidate, Anderson helped lead the
Commodores to a 24-10 record last season and a nation-leading
54.5 percent field goal percentage. Vanderbilt advanced
to the NCAA Regional Final game for the fourth time and
lost to eventual national champion Notre Dame. Anderson
led the nation in field goal percentage with a 72.3 percentage,
just .1 percent off the NCAA record. The Commodores claimed
a runnerup finish in the SEC Tournament after defeating
LSU, and #1 Tennessee and falling to #4 Georgia in the finals.
The O’Charley’s Dinner of Champions was created
by the Nashville Sports Council in 1999 as a way to salute
amateur and professional sports in Middle Tennessee.
Long-Range Accuracy
• The Commodores are second in the SEC in 3-point shooting
with a 38.2 percentage (125-327). VU has led the league
throughout the season, but a 1-14 performance vs. Florida
from 3-point range dropped the Commodores to second in the
standings.
• Four Commodores have totaled double digit 3-pointers
including Ashley McElhiney (36), Jenni Benningfield (27),
Jillian Danker (28) and Abi Ramsey (18).
• Sophomore forward Jenni Benningfield set a VU freshman
record when she made 56 3-pointers last season. It was the
ninth-highest single season total in program history. In
25 games this season she owns an 41.5 3-point percentage,
third in the SEC, connecting on 27-61 from 3-point range.
She has hit at least one 3-pointer in 43 of 59 games (72.8
percent) for her career.
• Senior forward Jillian Danker entered the season
second on VU’s all-time list for 3-point accuracy having
made 119 of 273 (43.6 percent). She currently totals 137-356
(38.4 percent).
• Freshman Abi Ramsey owns a 38.3 percent mark from
3-point range hitting 18-47. Against Vermont, she played
for six minutes and hit four consecutive 3-pointers within
four minutes for 12 points.
ANOTHER 20-WIN SEASON
• The Commodores reached 20 wins in a season for the
16th time overall and 10th time under head coach Jim Foster.
Only once in history (1993) has VU reached 20 victories
in fewer games (21). This year, the Commodores reached 20
wins in 25 games which also marks the same amount in 1995.
