Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (11/26/2005)—Vanderbilt University junior Carla Thomas scored a game-high 24 points and added eight rebounds to lead the No. 20/22 women’s basketball team to a 72-33 victory over Colgate in the championship game of the Vanderbilt Tournament on Ingram Court. Freshman guard Gretchen Polinski (Mansfield, Ohio) earned all-tournament team honors for the Raiders after adding four points and a team-best seven boards to her career-high 17 points the previous day against McNeese State.
Polinski scored on a layup off the opening tip to put Colgate ahead 2-0. Senior Megan Ballard (Atlanta, Ga.) made a steal on the next possession and dropped the ball in off the glass for a 4-0 lead. The Commodores responded with a pair of buckets to tie the game before Ballard knocked down Colgate’s lone three of the game to give the Raiders a 7-4 advantage.
It was all Vanderbilt after that as the Commodores put the clamps on the Colgate offense, breaking off a 29-0 run that spanned nearly 14 minutes. Vanderbilt headed into the break up 39-13, led by Thomas’ 12 points.
Colgate shot 20 percent from the field (6-of-30) in the opening 20 minutes, while the Commodores dropped in 68 percent (17-of25) of their shots, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc.
Vanderbilt continued to stifle the Raider offense in the second half, stretching its lead to as many 44 points. Colgate forced the Commodores into 21 turnovers for the game and held them to 0-of-5 from long range in the second half.
Ballard turned in a strong all around performance for Colgate, dropping in a team-high nine points, six steals, and five assists in 37 minutes of action. Senior Devon Warwick (Amesbury, Mass.) added six points off the bench and freshman Katherine McGarry (Salem, Ohio) chipped in five points.
Vanderbilt (5-1) junior guard Dee Davis added nine points for the Commodores, while both Liz Sherwood and Rachel Brockman had eight apiece. Dee and Caroline Williams both provided five assists in the Vanderbilt win.
Colgate (1-3) returns to action on Nov. 29, traveling to cross-town rival Syracuse for a 7 p.m. game.
