BLACKBURG, Va. – Game times and television information have been set for the First Four matchup between the No. 12-seeded Vanderbilt women’s basketball team and No. 12 seed Columbia. Tipoff is set for Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT and will air live on ESPNU.
The Commodores earned the No. 12 seed in the Portland Regional 3 side of the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket after going 22-9 overall this season and finishing sixth in the SEC. It is the first time in a 10 years that Vanderbilt has earned a March Madness bid, while it is the school’s 28th NCAA Tournament appearance, which is tied for 12th-most in NCAA women’s basketball history. The Commodores will take on the Lions in the school’s inaugural appearance in the First Four, a round that was added when the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament field expanded to 68 teams in 2022.
The Commodores and Lions tipoff at 8 p.m. CT at Cassell Coliseum on the campus of Virginia Tech. The game will air live on ESPNU. The winner of the First Four contest will move onto the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, where they will face No. 5-seeded Baylor at Cassell Coliseum on Friday at 5 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
Buy Tickets
Fans wanting to buy tickets for Vanderbilt’s NCAA Tournament games can do so through the host school, Virginia Tech. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 1 p.m. CT. Tickets for the First Four game are $25 for adults and $10 for children 17 or younger. To purchase tickets, click here.
Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament
Vanderbilt earned its first bid into the NCAA Tournament since the 2013-14 season after going 22-9 overall and finishing sixth in the SEC. The Commodores posted their first 20-win since in 11 years, while Vandy collected a school-record six SEC road wins to help them go 9-7 in SEC play. Though it is Vanderbilt’s first March Madness appearance in a decade, the Commodores earned their 28th overall NCAA Tournament bid, which is tied for the 12th-most in NCAA women’s basketball history with Ohio State. This year marks the first time that Vandy will play in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament. The Dores are 39-27 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Vanderbilt has made 14 appearances in the Sweet 16, while Vandy has advanced to the Elite Eight five different times. The Dores also have made a run to the Final Four once, having played in the 1993 NCAA Final Four against Texas Tech in Atlanta.
How Vanderbilt Got Here
The Commodores got out to a 17-1 start this season, which saw Vanderbilt return to the WBCA/USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time in 10 seasons, as the Dores were ranked No. 24 in the Jan. 9th poll. After a five-game skid, Vandy rebounded to end the season winning five of their final six regular season contests to finish sixth in the SEC and earned the program’s best seed in the SEC Tournament since 2011. Vanderbilt enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament with a NET ranking of 56.
A Look at Columbia
Columbia, who plays in the Ivy League, comes into the NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 23-6 overall record. It will be the first time that the Lions have played in the NCAA Tournament, as they earned an at-large bid into March Madness.
The Lions have won 21 of their last 23 games, with the two losses coming against Princeton, who won the 2024 Ivy League Tournament. Columbia shared the Ivy League regular season title with the Tigers, as both went 13-1 in conference play. The Lions come into the NCAA Tournament with a NET ranking of 57.
Columbia averages 76.0 points per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field. The Lions hit 32.8 percent on 3-point field goals and average 39.9 rebounds per game. Columbia is allowing teams to shoot 39.9 percent from the field, while foes are connecting on 31.6 percent from behind the arc.
Fifth-year senior Abbey Hsu leads the Lions in scoring at 20.6 points per game. Hsu, who was named the 2023-24 Ivy League Player of the Year, ranks 20th in the nation in scoring. She has hit a team-best 88 3-pointer this season and is shooting a team-best 39.8 percent from behind the arc. Juniors Cecelia Henderson (13.7 ppg) and Kitty Henderson(11.8 ppg) also average double-digit points for the Lions.
What’s at Stake
The winner of the First Four contest between Vanderbilt and Columbia will move onto the First Round of the NCAA Tournament and face No. 5-seeded Baylor at Cassell Coliseum on Friday at 5 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
Series History
Vanderbilt is 2-0 all-time against Columbia, with the last matchup taking place last season. The Commodores picked up a 74-63 win in New York City back on Nov 13, 2022. Ciaja Harbison scored a game-high 27 points to lead a trio of double-digit scorers for the Dores. Sacha Washington scored 11 points and pulled down five rebounds. A total of four Vanderbilt players and five Columbia players who played in that game are still on their respective team’s roster going into the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
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