Commodores make a habit of knocking off No. 1

NASHVILLE - Don't bring your No. 1 ranking to Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt isn't impressed.

Well, it's not that Commodores aren't impressed. It's more accurate to say they aren't intimidated.

"Anytime an opponent is the number-one-ranked team in the country, its always an honor to play against them," said senior Shan Foster, who fired in 32 points to fuel Vandy's 72-69 victory over No. 1 Tennessee on Tuesday night.

For the second consecutive season - and fourth time in a row dating to 1987 - the Commodores knocked off a No. 1-ranked team in Memorial.

Last year it was the defending national champion Florida Gators. This time, a newly anointed No. 1, Tennessee.

"People go their whole careers and don't get the opportunity to play the number-one team in the country," said Foster. "The guys here have got to do it twice and I think that added a little fuel to the fire."

Prior to Florida last year, the Commodores also unseated Kentucky in 1992-93 and North Carolina in 1987-88.

"This game was more important to us than Florida last year," Foster said. "Because we felt like we really got punked in Knoxville."

His reference was to UT's 80-60 victory Jan. 17.

"The first game," said Foster, "was indicative of how we were playing at the time.

"Today was more indicative of how we're playing now, more to our potential."

Foster was 1-of-11 from 3-point range in Knoxville. He got his 32 points Tuesday on only 13 shots and was 6-of-9 beyond the arc.

"My hat goes off to those guys (Tennessee)," he said. "It definitely wasn't easy."

Coach Kevin Stallings' hat goes off to Foster.

"Thirty-two points on 13 shots, that's phenomenal against their defense," Stallings said. "They're the best defensive team in the league."

Tuesday's victory gave the Commodores a double dose of rivalry sweetness.

They not only virtually assured that UT's stay atop the national rankings will end with the next poll but they also tightened up the SEC East race.

The Commodores also extended their SEC winning streak to seven games, a best under Stallings.

"This was kind of a weird game," said Stallings. "It certainly lacked rhythm because of all the fouls.

"It wasn't a game of particularly good shooting, but it was hard-fought and that's what you expect when these two teams play each other."

Stallings thanked a pro-Vandy crowd of 14,325 for rising to the occasion when the No. 1 team happened to be the one a couple of hours east on I-40.

"It was a big game for us and it was a big game for them," he said.

"Gosh, Bruce's orange coat even designated it a big game."

UT coach Bruce Pearl's orange blazer - which he reserves for Vandy and Kentucky - couldn't help the Vols shoot any better than 32.8 percent or force more than eight Vanderbilt turnovers.

"I thought most of their shots were contested," Stallings said. "They shoot 33 percent, some of that had to be our defense."

Foul problems kept the respective big men, UT's Wayne Chism and Vandy's A.J. Ogilvy, from getting much of a duel going.

Chism finished with four points and four rebounds. In the first game, his numbers were 18 and 18.

"If I can calculate that," said Stallings, "the difference is 14 points and 14 rebounds."

2K: UT's Chris Lofton became the sixth Vol to pass the 2,000-point mark for his career. His 25 points left him at 2,004.

Dale Ellis is fifth on the scoring chart with 2,065 points from 1979 to 1983.

Lofton is the first member of the 2,000 club since Allan Houston in 1993.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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