NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After a Thanksgiving trip to Mexico, the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team returns home for three games within state lines this week.
The Commodores (5-3) will host USC Upstate on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network+) at Memorial Gymnasium, travel to East Tennessee State on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT and host UT Martin on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT (SEC Network).
Vanderbilt is coming off an 0-2 finish at the Cancun Challenge in Mexico. Making their debut in the event, Dores lost to No. 13/11 NC State 82-73 after a furious rally fell short and were edged by Northern Iowa 65-62 on a 3-pointer just before the final buzzer.
Leading the charge
Graduate guard Ciaja Harbison is leading the Dores in scoring (18.5 points per game) and assists (5.5). Harbison scored a season-high 34 points in Vandy’s loss to NC State. She was two points shy of matching her career high of 36, which came last season when she played for Saint Louis University in an overtime win over St. Bonaventure.
Graduate guard Marnelle Garraud is averaging 10.8 points per game with a team-high 19 3-pointers. Sophomore forward Sacha Washington leads the Dores in rebounds per game (7.4) and is third in scoring (10.3). Senior forward Yaubryon Chambers finished with her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to UNI.
Staying defensive
The Dores are forcing 17.9 turnovers per game and averaging 8.8 steals per game. They are holding opponents to 39.2 percent shooting from the field and 28.5 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Scouting Report
USC Upstate (1-4)
Vandy and USC Upstate have met only once before, an 88-42 victory by the Dores in Nashville during the 2011-12 season.
USC Upstate, which plays in the Big South Conference, will be playing its third Power Five opponent this season, having lost to West Virginia 81-31 and No. 9 Virginia Tech 79-24. The Spartans have lost four straight, with their only victory coming against Southern Wesleyan 69-51 in the season opener.
Graduate guard Isabella Geraci leads USC Upstate in scoring (9.4) and rebounding (7.8). The Spartans are averaging 28.8 turnovers per game.
ETSU (6-2)
Vandy leads the overall series 7-2 and has won seven straight since ETSU claimed the first two meetings in 1978-80 and 1980-81. Under new head coach Brenda Mock Brown, the Bucs are off to their best eight-game start since 1996-97.
ETSU, which plays in the Southern Conference, lost to No. 1 South Carolina 101-31 in the season opener…