Take a look at our sports recap as we head out of February.
Men’s basketball
The men’s basketball team has put on a strong performance lately. After the Feb. 8 buzzer-beater home win against Tennessee, Commodore Nation flooded Memorial on Feb. 18 to watch the game against Auburn. To the fans’ shock, the ‘Dores secured another buzzer-beater win against the Tigers. Tied at 65 with seconds left on the clock, Ezra Manjon scored two points just before the game ended.
“Though both teams competed really, really hard,” head coach Jerry Stackhouse said after the Auburn game. “Wasn’t the prettiest game at times. Somebody had to win, and I was glad it was us. It was good to see that ball go through there at the end there.”
Unfortunately, the winning streak ended on Feb. 22 as the team lost to LSU at Baton Rouge, 77-84. But Memorial Magic returned on Saturday, Feb. 25 as the Commodores defeated the Florida Gators, 88-72. Freshmen Paul Lewis and Colin Smith showed their potential in the game; Lewis hit a mid-range jumper after media timeout, and Smith scored a three with three and a half minutes left on the clock.
“It’s important that we establish those younger guys,” Stackhouse said after the game. “It ensures that we have continuity on our roster from year to year.”
The men’s team will next play the Kentucky Wildcats on March 1 in Lexington.
Women’s basketball
On Feb. 19, the women’s basketball team held their senior night and won against Kentucky. Head coach Shea Ralph spoke about seniors Ciaja Harbison, Marnelle Garraud, Demi Washington and Yaubryon Chambers after the game.
“We’re really excited to celebrate our seniors,” Ralph said. “They’ll be part of our lives forever, and I can’t say enough about the contributions they’ve made to this program.”
The team’s final home game was held on Feb. 23. Unfortunately, the ‘Dores lost to No. 5 LSU. By halftime, Vanderbilt was 17 points behind. As the second half continued, the team struggled to surpass the gap with LSU eventually winning 82-63. However, Garraud and Harbison put on a strong performance as the teams’ leading scorers.
The women’s team will play their final game of the season against Auburn on Feb. 26 at 3 PM, CST.
Baseball
The VandyBoys lost their home opener on Feb. 21 against the University of Central Arkansas They fell 4-5 to the Bears after a slow offensive start.
The Commodores rallied to secure a home win the next day at Hawkins Field. They scored 13 runs over UAB’s one and ended via the 10-run mercy rule.
The VandyBoys returned to Hawkins Field on Friday, Feb. 24 to begin their three-day series against No. 17 UCLA. The Commodores secured their first shutout at home with six runs over the Bruins.
The next day, the players took on day two of the weekend series, losing 3-0.
“They pitched well. Facing an All-American in the beginning and after that, they can really execute,” head coach Tim Corbin said after the game. “It’s championship-type pitching, and they shut us down. You have to give them credit.”
The VandyBoys will play UCLA for the final game of the weekend series on Feb. 26 at Hawkins Field.
Women’s tennis
No. 15 Vanderbilt Women’s Tennis faced No. 19 UCF on Feb. 17, winning 4-1. The Cruz and Mohr duo along with the Lee and Stammel duo showed strong performances as they gathered points during the doubles matches. In singles, Lee, Stevens and Stammel won against UCF.
“That was a heck of a college tennis match. UCF is a very good team. I thought we competed really well in doubles and singles and took some momentum from the doubles point into singles sets,” head coach Aleke Tsoubanos said after the win.
Next, the Commodores will compete against MTSU on Feb. 26.
Men’s tennis
After its last home win, the men’s tennis team faced Rice on Feb. 12, defeating the Owls 6-1.
On Feb. 18, the team faced FAU, losing 4-1. The next day, the ‘Dores suffered another home loss 4-3 against Oklahoma State. Cox and Ross had a strong performance in doubles early on in the match. In singles, Cox and Sisam both racked up points, but the Cowboys ultimately overtook the Commodores. Despite this setback earlier in the day, the team came back strong against Belmont, winning 6-1.
“We’re getting ahead but we’re not putting people away,” head coach Ian Duvenhage said. “Hopefully, we can solve that and go from there.”
The team will play next on Feb. 26 against Northwestern.
Lacrosse
The lacrosse season started on Feb. 10 with the first home game of the season. The Commodores faced Colorado and secured an overtime 11-10 win, a strong start to the 2023 season.
“It was a total team win,” head coach Beth Hewitt said after the game. “Everybody stepped up throughout the whole game and stayed super positive.”
The team played on West End again on Feb. 18 against Hofstra and lost 11-8.
“I felt like we got a little down on ourselves when they took the lead early,” head coach Beth Hewitt said. “I felt like we got out of our game a little bit. We’ve got a whole new offensive unit this year, so [we are] just trying to make sure they stay confident even when things aren’t super easy.”
The lacrosse team will play next against Louisville at home on Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. CST.
