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Foster, Vanderbilt take on Auburn in SEC tournament

Mar 13, 2008 - 10:48 AM Auburn (14-15) vs. No. 17 Vanderbilt (25-6) 3:15 pm EDT

ATLANTA (Ticker) - Vanderbilt begins play in the Southeastern Conference tournament against Auburn in an opening-round matchup on Thursday.

Despite losing two of their final three games, the 17th-ranked Commodores finished third in the SEC East. The winner of Thursday's game will take on Arkansas in the quarterfinals on Friday.

SEC Player of the Year Shan Foster led the conference in scoring at 20.6 points per game and broke Vanderbilt's career scoring record with 1,958 points.

The Commodores, who posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1987-88 and 1988-89, are hoping not to lose in the first round for the second straight season.

"We'll go and we'll do whatever we have to do to win on Thursday," Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. "If that means Shan has got to play 38 minutes, then Shan will play 38 minutes if he can. And there won't be any self-preservation going on because you can't win four if you don't win one."

The Tigers come in on a four-game losing streak, stumbling to a 2-10 mark in their final 12 games en route to finishing last (sixth) in the SEC West Division.

Senior Quan Prowell leads four players scoring in double figures for Auburn at 15.3 points per game.

Vanderbilt won the regular-season meeting, posting a 78-71 victory at home on February 2.