DePaul University Athletics
Saturday, November 27
St. Thomas, USVI
Noon CT
DePaul University
vs
Vanderbilt
Shooting for One Last Jam in Paradise
11/26/2021 10:36:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
DePaul and Vanderbilt clash Saturday in their U.S. Virgin Islands finale
ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands – Talk about going from one extreme to another---that's precisely what confronts DePaul on Saturday.
Just 24 hours ago, the Blue Demons were, for the most part, successfully traversing across a veritable land of the giants in No. 9/12 Arizona with players standing, 6-foot, 6-inches, 6-5 plus a trio of forwards stretching to 6-3.
Coach Doug Bruno and his 4-2 team will face quite the opposite in Vanderbilt (4-3) which features a starting lineup with no one taller than 5-10.
But let's not forget that Vandy's downsized five gave Arizona fits, forcing 25 turnovers and losing 48-46 at the final buzzer on a Shaina Pellington basket.
This collegiate version of "Meet the Press" figures to be 40 minutes of perpetual motion with a lot of moving parts.
The DePaul and Vanderbilt pressure defenses are forcing turnovers at a nearly identical rate. The Blue Demons are harassing opponents in 18.7 turnovers a game while the Commodores are at 18.5.
The matchups are tantalizing with the 5-10 trio of Sonya Morris, Lexi Held and Deja Church, 5-11 Darrione Rogers and 6-1 Aneesah Morrow dressed in blue.
Vanderbilt will counter with 5-8 Brylee Bartram, 5-9 Jordyn Cambridge, 5-10 Demi Washington in the backcourt flanked by 5-10 forwards Brinae Alexander and Kaylon Smith.
The first time anyone north of 6-feet steps on the court for Vanderbilt is when 6-2 backup forward Sacha Washington discards her warmups.
Church (15 points a game), Morris (14.2 points), Held (13.2 points) and Rogers (9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds) stand a good chance to neutralize the Commodores' 5-10 and under startling lineup.
Logic would dictate that the inside strength of Morrow (16.8 points, 10.3 rebounds a game) would be the difference-maker at the UVI Sports & Fitness Center.
Morrow has been a pillar of strength down low battling for rebounds, scoring consistently on seal-off post maneuvers and spin moves while also emerging as one of the nation's leading shot-blockers.
Then again, let's not forget that Arizona's talented 6-5 Lauren Ware finished with just six points and three rebounds against Vandy despite a seven-to-nine-inch advantage on her Commodore defenders.
If you put a lot of stock in comparative scores, Vanderbilt has an edge over Bruno & Co. Here are the Paradise Jam results for the two teams.
Arizona 48, Vanderbilt 46
Arizona 75, DePaul 68
Vanderbilt 51, Rutgers 40
DePaul 77, Rutgers 74
None of the above is really going to matter at noon Chicago time when DePaul and Vanderbilt tip off before an ESPN3/ESPN+ audience.
But it certainly promises to be a fast-moving and entertaining 40 minutes in their Paradise Jam finale.
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Just 24 hours ago, the Blue Demons were, for the most part, successfully traversing across a veritable land of the giants in No. 9/12 Arizona with players standing, 6-foot, 6-inches, 6-5 plus a trio of forwards stretching to 6-3.
Coach Doug Bruno and his 4-2 team will face quite the opposite in Vanderbilt (4-3) which features a starting lineup with no one taller than 5-10.
But let's not forget that Vandy's downsized five gave Arizona fits, forcing 25 turnovers and losing 48-46 at the final buzzer on a Shaina Pellington basket.
This collegiate version of "Meet the Press" figures to be 40 minutes of perpetual motion with a lot of moving parts.
The DePaul and Vanderbilt pressure defenses are forcing turnovers at a nearly identical rate. The Blue Demons are harassing opponents in 18.7 turnovers a game while the Commodores are at 18.5.
The matchups are tantalizing with the 5-10 trio of Sonya Morris, Lexi Held and Deja Church, 5-11 Darrione Rogers and 6-1 Aneesah Morrow dressed in blue.
Vanderbilt will counter with 5-8 Brylee Bartram, 5-9 Jordyn Cambridge, 5-10 Demi Washington in the backcourt flanked by 5-10 forwards Brinae Alexander and Kaylon Smith.
The first time anyone north of 6-feet steps on the court for Vanderbilt is when 6-2 backup forward Sacha Washington discards her warmups.
Church (15 points a game), Morris (14.2 points), Held (13.2 points) and Rogers (9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds) stand a good chance to neutralize the Commodores' 5-10 and under startling lineup.
Logic would dictate that the inside strength of Morrow (16.8 points, 10.3 rebounds a game) would be the difference-maker at the UVI Sports & Fitness Center.
Morrow has been a pillar of strength down low battling for rebounds, scoring consistently on seal-off post maneuvers and spin moves while also emerging as one of the nation's leading shot-blockers.
Then again, let's not forget that Arizona's talented 6-5 Lauren Ware finished with just six points and three rebounds against Vandy despite a seven-to-nine-inch advantage on her Commodore defenders.
If you put a lot of stock in comparative scores, Vanderbilt has an edge over Bruno & Co. Here are the Paradise Jam results for the two teams.
Arizona 48, Vanderbilt 46
Arizona 75, DePaul 68
Vanderbilt 51, Rutgers 40
DePaul 77, Rutgers 74
None of the above is really going to matter at noon Chicago time when DePaul and Vanderbilt tip off before an ESPN3/ESPN+ audience.
But it certainly promises to be a fast-moving and entertaining 40 minutes in their Paradise Jam finale.
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Players Mentioned
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