Vanderbilt (7-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. BYU (7-0, 0-0 Big XII)
Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025 • 11 a.m. CT
University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center • St. Thomas, USVI
ESPN+ • 102.1 The Ville • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 17-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team concludes the 2025 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Saturday, as the Commodores take on BYU in the championship game of the Island Division. Tipoff against the Cougars is set for 11 a.m. CT and streams live on ESPN+.
Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt takes the court for the final in the Virgin Islands sporting a perfect record through seven contests to open the 2025-26 campaign. It is the third-straight season that Vanderbilt has opened a season at 7-0, marking the first time in program history the Dores have accomplished the feat.
>> The Commodores are 56-19 against nonconference foes in the Ralph era. Vanderbilt has won 13-straight games against non-SEC teams in the regular season heading into Saturday’s contest against BYU.
>> This is the first time that Vanderbilt will play in a championship game at the Paradise Jam. The Dores are 3-4 all-time at this event, which includes Thursday’s 88-66 win over Oregon State. The Commodores first participated in the Paradise Jam during the 2017-18 season, where it was held in Washington, D.C., due to hurricane damage on St. Thomas. Vandy returned to the event in 2021-22, where it was hosted at the University of the Virgin Islands.
>> Saturday’s game marks the second time that Vanderbilt and BYU will face off on the hardwood. The Commodores won the only contest against the Cougars, as they scored an 86-47 victory on Dec. 20, 2004, in Malibu, California, as part of the Hilton Woodlands Hill Beach Classic.
>> Vandy is seeking its second multi-team event title under head coach Shea Ralph. The Dores previously won the 2023 South Point Shootout in Las Vegas, as they knocked off Iowa State (68-53) and Northern Iowa (68-64) to go 2-0 at the event. The Commodores are seeking their first championship at the Paradise Island Jam.
Game Coverage
Saturday’s contest streams live at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN+, with Kevin Lehman and Brad Wells on the call. Fans can listen to Jake Lyman locally on 94.9 The Fan and the Vanderbilt Commodores app outside of Nashville.
National Rankings
Vanderbilt came in at No. 17 in both the Associated Press top 25 and in the USA Today/WBCA coaches poll this week. Vandy’s No. 17 ranking in the AP poll marks the program’s highest placement in the AP top 25 since Week 15 of the 2013-14 campaign, when the Dores were ranked No. 16.
Galvan Named SEC Freshman of the Week
Aubrey Galvan was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week after she tied a pair of school freshman single-game records.
The point guard matched the Vanderbilt freshman single-game record for assists, as well as the freshman single-game record for most steals against Tennessee State. The point guard recorded 15 assists and nine steals against the Lady Tigers in last Sunday’s 99-43 victory.
Her 15 helpers vs. TSU matched Ashley Smith’s Vanderbilt freshman record for most assists in a game, which she set on Nov. 29, 1998, against Hampton. Her nine steals equaled Deborah Denton’s freshman single-game record set against New Mexico State on Jan. 4, 1987.
The Deerfield, Illinois, native averaged 10.3 assists, 7.7 points, 3.7 steals and 3.3 rebounds to help No. 17-ranked Vanderbilt go 3-0 this past week. The guard dished out eight or more assists in all three contests, as she shares SEC Freshman of the Week honors with Alabama’s Ace Austin.
Blakes Feast on Thanksgiving
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes scored a season-high 35 points in Thursday’s win over Oregon State at the Paradise Island Jam. The guard was efficient throughout the evening for the Commodores, as Blake shot 54.5 percent from the field, going 12-of-22. Her 35-point performance against the Beavers marks the seventh time Blakes has registered 30-plus points in her collegiate career, while it is her second 30-point game of this season. All 35 points Blakes scored came in the first three quarters of play, as the Dores maintained a 20-plus-point lead in the final frame.
Justine Is Rolling
Senior Justine Pissott equaled her career high in points and 3-pointers made in Thursday’s win over Oregon State, as the 6-4 guard tallied 17 points and hit five shots from behind the arc. Pissott scored double-digit points for the second straight game. It marks the second time that Pissott has scored 10-plus points in back-to-back games at Vanderbilt, while it’s the first time since tallying 12 points in two consecutive games at Missouri (Feb. 29, 2024) and vs. Georgia (March 3, 2024) during the 2023-24 campaign
Blakes’ Scoring Streak
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes is riding a 26-game double-digit scoring streak that dates back to last season, coming into the contest against BYU. The guard has scored 20-plus points 18 times during the streak. Blakes has registered 10 or more points in 39 of the 40 career games she has played at Vanderbilt.
Double Trouble
Graduate Sacha Washington and freshman Aubrey Galvan each had a double-double in Sunday’s 99-43 victory over Tennessee State. Washington posted her second double-double of the season with a 13-point, 10-rebound effort against the Lady Tigers, while Galvan flirted with a triple-double, as she scored 16 points to go along with 15 assists and nine steals. It marked the first time a pair of Commodores had a double-double in the same game since Dec. 14, 2024, against Evansville.
Balanced Scoring
Vanderbilt has had three or more players score double-digit points in six of its seven contests to open the 2025-26 season. Recently, the Commodores had four players record double figures in Sunday’s home victory vs. Tennessee State.
Tall Dores
Vanderbilt has eight players who are 6-2 or taller on its 2025-25 season, with the tallest player being 6-6 center Aalyah Del Rosario. The 2025-26 Commodores hold an average height of 6-1, a growth spurt of four inches compared to their team average height of 5-10 from a season ago.
Scouting the Cougars
BYU holds a 7-0 overall record heading into the championship game of the Island Division at the Paradise Jam. The Cougars are coming off a 64-60 victory over Virginia Tech in the Virgin Islands on Thursday. OSU is in Year 1 under head coach Lee Cummard.
Sophomore Delaney Gibb leads the Cougars in scoring at 16.3 points per game through four contests, though she hasn’t played since Nov. 15. Freshman Olivia Hamlin (12.3 ppg) and senior Lara Rohkohl (11.3 ppg) round out BYU’s trio of double-digit scorers.
The Cougars are averaging 77.3 points per game, while giving up 55.6 points. BYU is shooting 42.9 percent from the floor and 28.8 percent from behind the arc. Defensively, the Cougars allow teams to shoot 33.1 percent from the field and 24.4 percent on 3-point field goals.
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