Vanderbilt women’s basketball will be getting very familiar with Columbia, South Carolina.
The Commodores (20-1, 6-1 SEC) are still in Columbia following their 103-74 loss to the Gamecocks on Jan. 25, a program spokesperson confirmed to The Tennessean on Jan. 26. This is after Vanderbilt traveled to Columbia on Jan. 23, a day earlier than originally planned, to arrive ahead of a winter storm that impacted both Tennessee and the Carolinas.
Per the spokesperson, the fifth-ranked Commodores do not currently have concrete plans on returning to Nashville or potentially heading straight to Oxford, Mississippi, for a road game against Ole Miss scheduled for Jan. 29.
Vanderbilt flew to Columbia. Most flights to and from Nashville were canceled on Jan. 24 and 25, and although the schedule was closer to normal Jan. 26, there were still concerns about icy roads throughout the city.
Nashville was hit with a significant ice storm over the weekend that resulted in widespread power outages, freezing weather and poor road conditions. Vanderbilt canceled classes on Jan. 26 and while the university will be open Jan. 27, all in-person classes are canceled. The storm also affected Columbia, bringing sleet and low temperatures, but conditions there were better than in Nasvhille.
The winter storm also impacted Oxford, which was one of the hardest-hit places in the country. The city of Oxford implemented a shelter-in-place order on Jan. 25 because of the road conditions, and Ole Miss women’s basketball already had to postpone its scheduled Jan. 26 game against Tennessee. The Rebels’ men’s basketball team has an open midweek date but is scheduled to face the Commodores in Oxford on Jan. 31.
As of Jan. 26, neither Vanderbilt vs. Ole Miss game had its schedule altered.
After the loss to the Gamecocks on Jan. 25, coach Shea Ralph was asked about the team’s travel plans.
“We left early. We didn’t know if we were going to play today, if we were going to play later, if we were going to try to play tomorrow, but we don’t control that,” Ralph said. ” … My guess is we probably won’t make it home. I know that was a conversation earlier today, but I don’t know that yet.”
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
