Vanderbilt (1-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Austin Peay (0-1, 0-0 A-SUN)
Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 • 6:30 p.m. CT
Memorial Gymnasium • Nashville, Tenn. • SEC Network+ • Tickets
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Notes • Game Program
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team closes out its brief two-game, season-opening homestand Friday when the Commodores welcome Austin Peay into Memorial Gymnasium. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and will stream live on SEC Network+.
Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt comes into Friday’s matchup against the Governors fresh off a 102-50 win over Lipscomb in the 2024-25 season opener this past Monday. Sophomore Khamil Pierre recorded a double-double with 25 points and 14 rebounds, while freshman Mikayla Blakes registered 23 points, five rebounds, and five assists in her Vanderbilt debut. It was the fourth-straight season-opening win for Vandy, making Shea Ralph the first Commodore head coach to win four-straight season openers to begin their career.
>> Vanderbilt is 25-5 at Memorial Gym vs. nonconference foes under Shea Ralph. The Dores went 9-0 at home against non-SEC teams last year, while Vandy has won 12-straight games against nonconference teams, a streak that dates back to the 2022-23 campaign.
>> The 102 points that the Commodores scored against Lipscomb on Monday tied for the most points scored in a season opener in program history. Vanderbilt also scored 102 points vs. Saint Francis (Pa.) in the first game of the 2004-05 campaign.
>> Friday will be the 19th overall meeting between Vanderbilt and Austin Peay. The Commodores have won 17-straight games against the Governors coming into this year’s matchup. Vandy is 17-1 all-time against APSU, with the last contest coming on Nov. 17, 2022, where the Dores picked up a 70-61 victory at Memorial Gym.
>> All 10 Commodores that played in the season-opening victory over Lipscomb scored at least two points and pulled down at least one rebound. It is the first time since last season’s Radford game on Dec. 31, 2023, that Vanderbilt had every player that played score in the contest.
Game Coverage
Friday’s contest against Austin Peay will stream live on SEC Network+ via the Watch ESPN app, with Andrew Allegretta and Kamera Harris calling the action. Fans can also listen to Jake Lyman locally on 94.9 The Fan and on the Vanderbilt Commodores app outside of Nashville.
Gameday Information
Click the link here for the latest gameday information on entrance, construction, parking, and ticketing information at Memorial Gymnasium.
Receiving Votes in the AP Poll
Vanderbilt opened the 2024-25 season, receiving 12 votes in the Associated Press preseason poll. It is the first time since the 2015-16 season that the Commodores have picked up votes in the AP preseason poll.
Double-Double for Khamil
Khamil Pierre got her sophomore campaign started in a big way, as the 6-2 forward scored 25 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in the season-opening win over Lipscomb. It was the first time that a Commodore posted a double-double in a season opener since Koi Love’s 19-point, 12-rebound performance against East Tennessee State in the first game of the 2020-21 season. It is Pierre’s fifth career double-double, while she extended her double-digit scoring streak to four games dating back to last season.
A Remarkable Debut
Freshman Mikayla Blakes put on a spectacular showing in her Vanderbilt debut this past Monday, as she recorded 23 points, five assists, and five rebounds to go along with a pair of steals. She is the first Commodore to score 23 or more points in their debut game since Rebekah Dahlman’s 23-point outing in her debut on Nov. 11, 2013, against Appalachian State.
Greene’s Return
Madison Greene had a standout return to the court after missing the final 22 games last season. Greene recorded 14 points in a career-high 28 minutes off the bench. She also established new career highs in steals (6), assists (4), and field goals made (6) in her return against the Bisons.
100-Point Breakout
Vanderbilt scored 100-plus points in a game for the first time since putting up 106 points in a 106-55 win at Tennessee State on Nov. 25, 2019. It was the first time under head coach Shea Ralph that the Commodores have tallied 100 or more points in a game. It was also the first time that Vandy scored 100-plus points at Memorial Gym since they knocked off Quinnipiac, 111-53, on Nov. 26, 2010. It is also the 47th time that Vanderbilt women’s basketball has scored 100 or more points in a game in program history.
Scouting the Governors
Austin Peay comes to the Music City in search of its first win of the 2024-25 season. The Governors dropped their season-opening contest to Bethel (TN) out of the NAIA, 64-52, at home. The Govs are coming off a 17-16 campaign and were picked to finish fifth in the ASUN in their conference’s preseason coaches poll, while the media selected APSU sixth.
Sophomore La’Nya Foster was the lone Gov to register double-digit points in the season opener, as she scored 14 points and pulled down nine rebounds in the loss to Bethel. Freshman Briana Rivera collected a trio of 3-point field goals to register nine points off the bench for APSU this past Monday.
The Governors are averaging 52.0 points per game this season while giving up 64.0 points per contest. Austin Peay shot 35.6 percent from the floor in its season opener, while the Govs allowed Bethel to shoot 34.0 percent from the floor. APSU allowed Bethel to go 6-of-14 from behind the arc on Monday.
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