All-American Mikayla Blakes records her fourth-straight 30-point outing, as the sophomore registered a 34 piece against the Lady Longhorns. photo by Altonita Washington
by Don Mooney
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 5/5-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team put on a dominating performance over a top-10 team for the second time this week at Memorial Gymnasium, as the Commodores posted an 86-70 victory over No. 4/4 Texas on Thursday night.
Vanderbilt got off to another fast start on Thursday, as the Dores led for nearly the entire contest after jumping out to a 27-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Commodores took a 17-point lead into halftime and led by as many as 26 points in the third. Vandy had to withstand a late charge by the Longhorns in the fourth quarter before claiming their second 16-point victory over a top-10 team this week.
Vandy’s backcourt duo of Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan led the Dores to their fifth victory over a ranked foe this season, as the underclassmen scored a combined 52 points. Blakes recorded her fourth-straight 30-point outing, as the sophomore registered a game-high 34 points against the Longhorns. Galvan tallied 18 points and handed out a team-high five assists.
photo by Altonita Washington
The win over No. 4 Texas pushes No. 5 Vanderbilt’s overall record to 24-2, while the Commodores are now 10-2 in the SEC for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign.
Vandy collected its second-straight 16-point win over a top-10 team this week, as the Dores knocked off No. 10 Oklahoma, 102-86, at Memorial Gymnasium on Monday night. Vanderbilt now has five wins over a ranked team this season, which is the most victories over top-25 teams in a season since the 2013-14 campaign. The win over No. 4/4 Texas marks the highest-ranked opponent Vanderbilt has defeated since Feb. 19, 2009, when the Commodores knocked off No. 3/3-ranked Auburn, 73-70, at Memorial Gym
Blakes is the first SEC player this century to have four consecutive 30-point outings, while she is the 21st NCAA Division I player to accomplish the feat since 1999-00. The Somerset, New Jersey, native also extended her double-digit scoring streak to 45 games, which is the third-longest active streak in the NCAA. Blakes joins Paige Bueckers as the only NCAA Division I players to score 30-plus points in three-straight games against ranked opponents.
Mikayla Blakes has exploded for 105 points across her last three games — all against ranked teams, all ending in wins. photo by Altonita Washington
Galvan extended her double-digit scoring streak to three games. The freshman point guard has now registered 10-plus points in six of her last eight contests. The 5-6 guard pulled down eight rebounds to go along with her five steals.
Graduates Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda and Sacha Washington also scored double-digit points in the victory over Texas. Mwenentanda had 11 points and six rebounds against her alma mater, while Washington just missed out on a double-double with 10 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Vanderbilt has now had at least three players score double figures in 24 of its 26 games this season.
The Dores shot 50.9 percent from the floor in the victory over No. 4 Texas, while holding the Longhorns to 38.5 percent from the field. Vanderbilt held a 40-37 edge on the boards and forced Texas into 12 turnovers, which turned into 13 points for the Commodores. Vandy made nine 3-pointers on the night and went 21-of-25 from the free throw line.