Vandy just dandy on defense

It was a deep passion for playing defense that got Vanderbilt University this far.

Whether the Commodores advance beyond tonight’s third-round showdown of the 2008 NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament could well be determined by just how much of that passion remains.

Seeded No. 4 in the NCAA’s Spokane Region, coach Melanie Balcomb’s young team expects to have its hands full against top-seeded and heavily favored Maryland, when the two schools tip things off at 6 in the Arena.

But Balcomb figures her Commodores still have a chance, provided they defend like they did in holding their first two tournament opponents – Montana and West Virginia – to a combined total of 93 points.

“Individually, we don’t really match up with (Maryland),” she said. “But we play defense, and we have all year. It’s the best defensive team I’ve ever coached, and we have just held our last two opponents to 46 and 47.”

Montana coach Robin Selvig got a first-hand look at VU’s defensive fervor in last Saturday’s opening round of the tournament in Albuquerque, N.M., when the Commodores put a 75-47 hurt on his Lady Grizzlies.

“What makes them a really good team is what they do at the defensive end of the court,” Selvig explained. “They do a lot of different things that are all a little different than what you normally run into.”

The Commodores, who start two freshmen, a sophomore and two juniors, boast no pet defense, relying instead on a variety of sets that included man, matchup zone and half-court trap. They aren’t afraid to extend their half-court pressure in certain situations.

“They get into you pretty good and cause a lot turnovers,” said Selvig, whose Lady Griz committed 22 in their first-round loss to VU. “It’s very difficult to run sets against them. To be effective, you need enough players who are capable of breaking down their defense and creating shots on their own.”

The Commodores are balanced on offense. No player on Balcomb’s roster averages more than 14 points per game, but five of them average more than eight.

VU’s top scorer is 6-foot-1 junior forward Christina Wirth, who is averaging 13.1 points, but Liz Sherwood, a 6-4 backup center and the only senior on the team, is scoring at an 11-point-per-game clip. The Commodores shoot 46.8 percent from the field, including 38.7 percent from 3-point range, where they have made 213 of 550 attempts.

The Commodores, as is typical of most Southeastern Conference teams, are extremely physical on both ends of the court.

They are also a bit naïve about the pressure that comes with playing in the NCAAs – which is something Balcomb hopes will work in their favor.

“They feel very confident,” Balcomb said of her players, who suffered three of their losses to SEC rival Tennessee, which is ranked No. 3 in both the Associated Press and coaches’ polls. “They feel like they have a lot of momentum going into this game. And by being young and not being expected to be here, they feel a sense of relaxation that you have to have on offense.

“Yet, at the same time, they’re competitors, and they want to win every game they play. It’s a great combination.”