Miami Knocks Off No. 24 Vanderbilt, 79-57
Dec. 29, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla.-Junior Yalonda McCormick (Miami, Fla.) scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Miami women’s basketball team to a 79-57 victory over No. 24 Vanderbilt claiming its fourth straight Gatorade Holiday Classic championship title Monday night in Coral Gables, Fla.
The Hurricanes improve to 11-0, while Vanderbilt drops to 10-1 on the season.
Miami off to its best start in school history extends its win streak to 11, the longest streak since the 1991-92 season. The Hurricanes won 30 in a row and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen during that season.
Miami earns its first win of the season over a Top 25 opponent. Vanderbilt slipped into the Associated Press Top 25 Monday afternoon, after receiving votes for the past few weeks. UM is also receiving votes in the AP poll.
McCormick, who was named to the all-tournament team, hit a career-high five three-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds in the win.
Senior Chanivia Broussard (Miami, Fla.) scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds and tallied five steals. Broussard was named tournament MVP after averaging a double-double in the tournament with 15.5 points and 11.0 rebounds.
Shaquana Wilkins (Plymouth, Fla.) recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Tamara James (Dania, Fla.) averaged 14.0 points in the tournament and was named to the all-tournament team for the second year in a row.
The Hurricanes opened the game on a 6-0 run and never lost the lead. UM led 38-29 at halftime.
The Commodores cut Miami’s lead to five (40-35) with 17:47 remaining in the game. McCormick hit a jumper to spark a 10-2 run giving Miami a double-digit lead (50-37) with 14 minutes left in the game.
Miami would not lose the double-digit lead owning its largest lead of 28 points (79-51) with just less than four minutes to play.
Vanderbilt ended the game on a 6-0 run but was unable to overcome the deficit as Miami evened the all-time series one-all with the Commodores.
The Hurricanes will open BIG EAST play traveling to face St. John’s Saturday at 2 p.m. in Jamaica, N.Y.
2003 Gatorade Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team
Jenni Benningfield (Vanderbilt)
Karin Hoogendam (Toledo)
Tamara James (Miami)
Denise King (Rhode Island)
Yalonda McCormick (Miami)
MVP- Chanivia Broussard (Miami)
