Vanderbilt Stays Alive In NIT With Comeback Win Over Michigan

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Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt continues to roll through the NIT after pulling off a comeback in the final minute to beat Michigan 66-65 in the NIT Second Round at Memorial Gym on Saturday, March 18.

The Commodores went on a brilliant 9-0 run in the last minute of the game, lifting them over an eight-point deficit to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals of the NIT.

“That was Memorial Magic if you’ve ever seen it before. We just kept fighting, and we found a way,” said Vanderbilt Head Coach Jerry Stackhouse in a postgame interview.

Tyrin Lawrence shined scoring a game-high of 24 points including a 3-point play with 58 seconds remaining, starting Vandy’s comeback rally. Ezra Manjon made a pair of free throws and a driving layup in adding 17 points. Lawrence added a team-best nine rebounds, with Quentin Millora-Brown contributing five, and Colin Smith scored all 11 of his points for Vandy in the first half. Vanderbilt overcame a 39-23 deficit on the boards by forcing 15 turnovers and outscoring Michigan 34-22 in the paint.

The Commodores are now set to face the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the NIT quarterfinals which will be hosted at Memorial Gym on Wednesday, March 22 at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

Vanderbilt Set To Host Michigan In NIT After Beating Yale In Round One

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Tyrin Lawrence with teammates. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt played with a vengeance last night (March 14), defeating Yale 71-62 in the first round of the NIT at Memorial Gym. Vandy will be hosting Michigan for a second round matchup this Saturday, March 19.

The Commodores scored the first 11 points of the game in its 2023 postseason debut, and kept a steady 10-20 point lead for a majority of the game. Yale, a top program from the Ivy League, fought and was able to get back within five points with about seven minutes left, but nothing could get in the way of Vandy winning this game.

“I thought that was a really tough game. I love how our guys came out from the start,” said Head Coach Jerry Stackhouse in a postgame press conference. “We talked about urgency and I think they really came out and set the tone for the game. They’re a really tough team to play, they really execute, they have guys who can make shots all over the floor. We knew they were going to make a run, which they did, but I thought we sustained that run and found a way to make a run ourselves.”

Tyrin Lawrence scored a career-best 25 points and added seven rebounds for the Commodores (21-14), while Ezra Manjon chipped in with 18 points and Quentin Millora-Brown scored seven to go along with a season-high 13 rebounds.

The Commodores defense showed up big time even without SEC Defensive Player of the Year Liam Robbins, who is out for the season. Vandy limited Yale to 36.4 percent shooting from the field and made 20 of 27 attempts from the free-throw line.

“Our guys made big plays after big plays and we made our free throws down the stretch,” continued Stackhouse. “That’s a team that averages 76 points per game and for us to hold them to 62 points is a great feat for us and a testament to our defense, and we have to continue to play with that type of urgency and that type of effort on the defensive end to continue to advance.”

The Memorial madness will continue with Big Ten powerhouse Michigan on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased on Vanderbilt Athletics’ website.

Tickets On Sale Now For Tennessee Vs. Virginia Kickoff Game At Nissan Stadium

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Tickets for the highly anticipated 2023 college football season opener between the Tennessee Volunteers and Virginia Cavaliers on Sept. 2 are available now.

“We look forward to having the Vols and Cavaliers kick off the opening weekend of college football here in Nashville,” says Nashville Sports Council President & CEO Scott Ramsey. “We know their loyal fanbases will converge [in] Music City and help showcase what makes this one of the best atmospheres for college football in the country.”

This will be the third time Tennessee has played in a regular season, non-conference game at Nissan Stadium since taking on Bowling Green in 2015 and Wyoming in 2002. The Vols, who are coming off of 11-2 season, last played at Nissan Stadium in December during the 2021 TransPerfect Music City Bowl.

Virginia returns to Nissan Stadium for the first time since 2005, when they took on Minnesota in the then- Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl presented by Bridgestone. The Cavaliers won that game 34-31 on a late field goal, and quarterback Marques Hagans, who now serves as Virginia’s Associate Head Coach and wide receivers coach, was named MVP.

A kickoff time for the opener will be announced at a later date. Fans can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster.

College Corner: Vandy Headed To NIT, MTSU Lady’s Continue Dominance, Belmont Women’s Headed To WNIT

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Vanderbilt Headed To The NIT After NCAA Tournament Snub

Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Despite their fantastic 2022-2023 season and their SEC Tournament semifinals appearance, Vanderbilt was not selected to the 2023 NCAA Tournament but will be playing in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

The Commodores finished with a record of 20-14 and conference record of 11-7 with wins against Tennessee, Auburn, Mississippi State and Kentucky, all of which are in the NCAA Tournament. Vandy made it to the SEC Tournament semifinals where they struggled to keep up with Texas A&M who won 87-75.

Vandy will head to their second-straight NIT appearance as a No. 3 seed, hosting Yale on Tuesday, March 14 at 8 p.m. in the opening round. The game will air live on ESPNU.

Game tickets and parking will be available for purchase on vucommodores.com. Current men’s basketball season ticket holders will be able to purchase their same seats from the 2022-2023 season by logging into their ticket account. The cost for reserved seating is $20 and student tickets are $10, and with Vanderbilt University on spring break a limited number of general admission tickets – available in the student section (Sections G-K) – will be available for $15 each.

The Commodores have advanced to the quarterfinals in each of their last two NIT appearances including last year after earning wins over Belmont and Dayton. Vandy is 22-12 all-time in the event.

 

MTSU Lady Blue Raiders Selected As No. 11 Seed After Winning CUSA Tournament

MTSU Lady Blue Raiders at Selection Sunday watch party. Photo: Courtesy of MTSU Athletics

No. 25 MSTU women’s basketball will be traveling to Durham, North Carolina to start the Lady Raiders’ NCAA Tournament, as MTSU earned the No. 11 seed in the Seattle Regional 4 on Saturday, March 18.

MTSU will face off against No. 6 seeded Colorado on Saturday, who ranked No. 20 in the final AP Poll of the season. This will be Middle Tennessee’s 20th NCAA Tournament appearance and the 11th appearance under Head Coach Rick Insell.

“We’re excited about where we’re going,” Insell says. “We’ll live out tonight, celebrate being in the tournament. We’re not going to practice tomorrow. But Tuesday, we’ll get back on the floor wide open and get ready to win that first game.”

The Conference USA Regular Season and Tournament champion Lady Raiders (28-4) will be facing the Buffaloes (23-8) for the first time in program history. Colorado will be making their 15th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the second appearance in a row as an at-large team after falling in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals to Washington State, 61-49. The Buffaloes 2022 NCAA appearance was the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the program since 2013.

The No. 11 seed is the best MTSU has earned since being a No. 8 seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament. MTSU was a No. 14 seed the last time the Lady Raiders earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the 2021 Tournament.

No. 3 seeded Duke (AP No. 13) is the hosting institution for the opening two rounds of the host site, playing No. 14 seed Iona in the other first round game. The winners of the first round games will then play in the second round on Monday.

Belmont Women’s Basketball Falls In MVC Tournament Final, Headed To WNIT

Belmont women’s basketball. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

The Belmont women’s basketball team finishes their first season in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) on a down note, losing to Drake 89-71 in the conference tournament final.

But this isn’t the end for the Bruins postseason campaign as they have been selected to the 2023 WNIT as an at-large bid. Belmont finished the season with a 23-11 record and a 17-3 conference record with help from All-Conference players Destinee Wells and Madison Bartley. Wells was also named to the MVC All-Tournament Team.

The Bruins won the MVC Regular Season Championship, sharing the title with Illinois State and clinching a No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

The first round of the national postseason tournament will be played either Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, March 15-17. The full bracket with matchup, location, game date and time will be announced later today (March 13).

SEC Tournament Preview: Does Vanderbilt Stand A Chance?

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Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

There is nothing quite like March Madness, and Nashville college hoops are at the center of the madness. Between teams like MTSU and Belmont, there is always something to watch, but the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena is the main event in town before teams head to the Dance.

This year, there are a lot of questions surrounding the big teams and some expectations rising for teams that aren’t usually basketball powerhouses. Tennessee and Auburn are obvious contenders for the championship and will be NCAA Tournament teams regardless, but both teams haven’t looked as dominant as they have in recent years.

Tennessee was a clear favorite going into this year but suffered some major losses and are currently without Zakai Zeigler, who is injured. They are still probably one of the favorites to win the SEC Tournament but anything can happen.

Alabama is currently sitting at No. 4 in the country and is predicted to be a Final Four team. They are the heavy favorites to not only win the SEC but the National Championship as well.

That leads us the “middle of the pack” teams, which includes Vanderbilt. The Commodores have had one of their best seasons in nearly a decade, led by SEC Co-Coach of the Year Jerry Stackhouse. They have won 11 conference games against ranked Tennessee, Kentucky and Auburn. Vandy finished the season with a 12-5 home record. Though they won’t be at Memorial Gym, they will be right down the street at Bridgestone which is sure to help.

Vanderbilt has a great team that can definitely fight for a spot in the semifinals, but how fan can they go?

This Commodores team is very talented with players like Jordan Wright, Tyrin Lawrence and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Liam Robbins. The only issue is Robbins suffered an injury in the final game of the season. He averaged 15 ppg, 6.8 rpg and blocked 82 shots. His presence will be greatly missed in the SEC Tournament as the dominant teams fight their hardest to prove they are the best.

But some of Vanderbilt’s most clutch moments of the season came from guys like Wright, Lawrence and Ezra Manjon. This team is still a major threat to the top contenders and needs a deep run in the conference tournament if they want any chance of getting a bid in the NCAA Tournament.

The Commodores have found themselves on NCAA Tournament mock brackets, just missing the tournament. With a few bad wins and an already stacked field, it’s going to be hard for Vandy to make it to the big Dance, but it’s not impossible. Today (March 9), the ‘Dores will face LSU at 8 p.m. A few weeks ago, Vandy lost to the Tigers 84-77 in Baton Rouge but it’s safe to say that Vanderbilt is still the favorite to win.

If they can beat LSU, the Commodores will then face Kentucky, who they just beat last week. From here it will be an uphill battle and Vandy will need to play sharp. This season, Vanderbilt has averaged 72 ppg while allowing opponents to score 71.7 ppg. They played tight games all year long and will definitely need to bring it down to the wire, feeding off of the panic from these top teams, which was a key factor in them taking down Tennessee and Kentucky.

Vandy will look to their veteran players like Wright and 6’10 fifth-year senior Quentin Millora-Brown to step up big time and lead the team. With the absence of Robbins, Millora-Brown is essential to the Commodores success as height and strong defense will make or break the ‘Dores. It will be a difficult few days for Vanderbilt and their loyal fans, but if they can bring a little Memorial magic to Bridgestone Arena, the Commodores could have an exciting Selection Sunday.

Belmont Releases ‘The Shoulders We Stand On’ Mini-Doc Spotlighting Women’s Basketball Program

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Betty Wiseman celebrating Belmont women’s basketball’s 73-70 upsets over Oregon in 2022. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

In conjunction with International Women’s Day and College Basketball Championship Week, Belmont University released a mini-documentary entitled The Shoulders We Stand On – spotlighting the history of Belmont University women’s basketball under charismatic and trailblazing leader Betty Wiseman. Belmont became just the second program in history to earn NCAA Tournament victories in consecutive years as a No. 12 seed or lower, defeating Gonzaga University in 2021 and the University of Oregon in 2022.

The documentary, produced by Noah Hanson, captures Wiseman’s upbringing and journey to Belmont, Belmont’s story as a fledgling program in the late 1960’s barnstorming the country, its historical place as a cornerstone program within the sport of women’s basketball and a precursor to Title IX, rise to national prominence within NAIA and NCAA Division I and Wiseman’s legacy through her ongoing mission work.

The film includes never-before-seen footage and archival pictures.

With Wiseman serving as lead storyteller, other documentary contributors include:

·       Hall of Fame Men’s Basketball Coach Rick Byrd

·       Women’s Basketball Head Coach Bart Brooks

·       Assistant Professor of Global Leadership Studies Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel

·       Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Corley

·       Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator Renee Schultz

·       Former Director of Athletics Mike Strickland

·       Multiple hall of famer and Wiseman’s classmate Ron Bargatze

·       Former women’s basketball standouts Mattie Spicer Yokley and Conley Chinn

MTSU Lady Blue Raiders Win C-USA Regular Season Title, Recognized With Honors

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MTSU Lady Blue Raiders. Photo: Courtesy of MTSU Athletics

The Lady Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State University cap off their fantastic 2022-2023 regular season by clinching the Conference USA Title while also being recognized with a handful of All-Conference honors.

Head Coach Rick Insell was named C-USA’s Co-Coach of the Year and Kseniya Malashka was named C-USA Sixth Player of the Year. Savannah Wheeler, Courtney Whitson and Jalynn Gregory all landed on All C-USA teams. Wheeler and Whitson were named to the All-Conference First Team, and Gregory was named to the Second Team. MTSU was the only school to have three players on the All-Conference teams.

The Lady Blue Raiders made history by making it on the Associated Press Top 25 throughout the season and currently ranked No. 25 heading into the C-USA Tournament.

“I’m proud of each of these young ladies,” Insell says. “We had a great regular season and each of those players had an impact in our success. They deserve the recognition for what they did for our basketball team throughout the regular season. Now, we need to turn our attention to the (Conference USA Championship) this week.”

Malashka joins Gabby Lyon (2016-2017) as the only Lady Raiders to be named Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year. The senior forward is MTSU’s leading scorer with 15.4 points per game, which is good for fifth in the C-USA standings. Malashka also averages 5.6 rebounds per game. She leads C-USA in blocked shots per game with right at two per game, and is second in the league for field goal percentage (48 percent).

Insell was named Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career, sharing the honor with UTEP’s Kevin Baker. Insell has guided the Lady Raiders to a 25-4 record and the C-USA regular-season conference championship. The 25 wins are seventh most in program history. Middle Tennessee posted an 18-2 mark in league play, setting a new league record for wins.

Wheeler is having a banner season in her breakout Lady Raider debut. The All-American candidate is among league leaders for scoring (6th, 15.3), assist/turnover ratio (4th, 1.7), assists (9th, 3.1), free throw percentage (2nd, .875), as well as 3-point field goals made and assists. She was a three-time C-USA Player of the Week honoree.

Whitson earned all-conference honors for the second straight season after nearly averaging a double-double. Whitson enters the C-USA Championship averaging 10.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, which leads the league. She also leads C-USA in defensive rebounds per game with 5.7. Gregory has turned in a solid sophomore season to land on the all-conference team. The sharpshooting guard leads C-USA in 3-point field goals per game (2.6) and 3-point field goal percentage (.337). She is also ninth in the league for scoring (13.3) and seventh for steals (1.8).

Belmont Women’s Basketball Captures First MVC Regular Season Championship

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Belmont Women’s Basketball Team. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

The Belmont women’s basketball team continues to be one of the most dominant programs in the country, winning their sixth regular season conference championship in seven seasons, their first in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC).

The Bruins clinched the title by defeating Valparaiso University in thrilling fashion, 70-67, Saturday afternoon (March 4) after junior guard Destinee Wells dropped 26 points in the second half for a game-best 31 total to overcome a 13-point deficit. Outscoring the host Beacons 40-33 in the second half, Belmont extended one of the nation’s longest winning streaks to 14.

With the victory, the Bruins finished their inaugural Missouri Valley Conference slate at 17-3 and tied with Illinois State (23-7, 17-3 MVC) atop the 12-team league. Sharing the regular season crown with the Redbirds, Belmont will be the No. 2 seed in next weekend’s MVC Tournament, which will be held in Moline, Illinois, Thursday-Sunday, March 9-12.

The regular season championship is the Bruins’ ninth regular season conference title – five in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) (2021-2022, 2019-2020, 2018-2019, 2017-2018, 2016-2017) and three in the ASUN Conference (2006-2007, 2005-2006, 2003-2004). Belmont has won a combined 16 conference championships, including regular season and tournament titles, in its NCAA era.