MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Sophomore Mikayla Blakes dropped 40 points on the Memphis Tigers at the 2025 Hoops for St. Jude® Tip Off Classic, presented by Bad Boy Mowers, as the No. 19/21-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team posted a 104-68 win at the FedExForum in exhibition action on Monday.
Blakes, the reigning USBWA Tamika Catching National Freshman of the Year, picked up right where she left off in 2024-25. The guard shot a blistering 60 percent from the field, going 12-of-20 from the floor, including a 5-of-10 performance from behind the arc. Blakes filled up the stat sheet at the FedExForum, as she pulled down eight, had four assists and two steals. Her 40-point performance on Monday marks the most points scored by a player inside the FedExForum since Steph Curry’s 52-point effort on April 1, 2025.
Vandy quickly jumped out to a double-digit lead against the Tigers, as the Dores opened the game on a 28-6 run. Vanderbilt held a double-figure advantage over the next two and a half quarters, before Memphis went on a 16-4 spurt to cut Vanderbilt’s lead to five points with 1:48 remaining in the third. The Dores pushed its lead back out to double figures early in the fourth quarter, as Vanderbilt scored 42 points in the final stanza to claim a 36-point win.
Blakes was one of three double-digit scorers for the Commodores against the Tigers. She was joined by graduate Sacha Washington, who had a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds, and senior Justine Pissott, who also registered double-double with 11 points and 10 assists and connected on three shots from behind the arc. It was Washington’s first game action since March 22, 2023, after missing last season due to a medical condition.
Vandy shot an even 50 percent from the field on Monday, while holding Memphis to a 38.6 percent success rate from the floor. The Dores did not allow a 3-point field goal, as they held the Tigers to 0-of-17 from behind the arc.
The No. 19/21-ranked Commodores open the 2025-25 regular season on Nov. 3 in Paris, France, as Vanderbilt will challenge California at the 2025 Oui-Play Paris. Tipoff against the Golden Bears is set for 1:30 p.m. and will air live on ESPNU.
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