Clemson To Face #12 Vanderbilt On ESPN2 On Sunday Evening

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Dec. 2, 2006

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson women’s basketball team will travel to Nashville, TN this weekend to take on the 12th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gymnasium. Sunday’s game, which is scheduled to begin play at 5:00 Eastern Time, will be nationally televised on ESPN2 with Dave Barnett calling the play-by-play and Nancy Lieberman providing color commentary. Fans in the upstate will also be able to listen to the game on WCCP (104.9 FM) with Dan Scott and Kanetra Queen.

The game has been designated as “Pink Out.” All fans in attendance are encouraged to join the coaches, players and officials in wearing pink to the game to promote breast cancer awareness. The first 1,500 fans at Memorial Gym also will receive pink “rally towels.” Half of the proceeds from all ticket sales will be donated to research efforts at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

With three straight double-figure scoring performances, D’Lesha Lloyd has become the Lady Tigers’ leading scorer with a 12.6 average. In those three games, the Columbia, SC native is averaging 20.3 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 55.8% from the field. Freshman Lele Hardy recorded the first double-double of her career last Wednesday to bring her season scoring average to 10.3 points per game and her rebounding figure to a team-best 8.1 mark. Her 4.0 offensive rebounds per game are tied for a league-best while her 3.71 steals per game rank second in the ACC. Tasha Taylor also boasts a double-figure scoring average for Clemson with 12.4 points per game this season.

Scouting the Commodores Vanderbilt enters Sunday’s contest ranked #12 by the AP and as the 14th-ranked team in the nation in WBCA poll with an unblemished 7-0 record. Most recently, the Commodores won an 85-63 decision over Alabama-Birmingam on Thursday night.

Carla Thomas leads the team in both scoring and rebounding with a 19.3 points per game average and 7.4 rebounds per game. Caroline Williams and Christina Wirth also average in double figures for Vanderbilt. Dee Davis has tallied 57 assists so far this season with 19 steals in the Commodores’ seven games.

Vanderbilt is averaging 83.0 points per game with a .523 overall field goal percentage. The Commodores are shooting 44.1% from long range, led by Williams who has converted 24-44 three-pointers for a .545 figure.

Clemson vs. Vanderbilt, The Series Sunday’s game will be just the third meeting in history between the Lady Tigers and Commodores with Vanderbilt winning both prior contests. The Commodores won a 72-60 decision in Nashville during the 1991-92 season and then defeated Clemson, 86-49, last year at the WBCA/BTI Classic in Tempe, AZ.