Tuomi update

By Barca Blog - Head coach Melanie Balcomb gave an update on sophomore forward Hannah Tuomi on Monday as the Commodores prepare for Saturday's first round matchup with Western Carolina in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

Tuomi is recovering from a stress fracture in her left ankle and has been out of action since the regular season finale at Tennessee on March 1.

"We're going to have her looked at this week to see where she's at," Balcomb told local media. "Right now, we've just kept her in a boot and she hasn't been doing anything. You hope it heals quickly, but you never know. That's a very tough injury."

Prior to being sidelined, Tuomi had started every game (28) of the season. She leads the 'Dores in rebounds per game (5.9) and field goal percentage (.565), and stands second in scoring per game (11.4).

Even without Tuomi's services, Vanderbilt was able to roll off three straight wins at the SEC Tournament in North Little Rock a week ago to claim the conference championship.

"Because of the injury to Hannah, it's made our team get even closer," Balcomb added. "You find out what a team's made of with adversity. I think it's made people work harder and step up for each other and for Hannah. I just like the way we've responded to adversity. I feel good about the work ethic that I'm getting every day in practice. They're really working hard for each other and want to keep playing. If you want to keep playing in March, those are the teams that do well."