Dores Come Up Short In Overtime

DURHAM, N.C. – The 2024-25 season came to an end for the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team in the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, as the No. 7-seeded Commodores dropped a 77-73 overtime decision to No. 10-seed Oregon on Friday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Vanderbilt trailed Oregon by 19 points in the early third quarter, as the Commodores outscored the Ducks 38-19 from that point to send the game into overtime. With Vandy trailing by two points, senior Iyana Moore drove down the lane and dished it off to graduate student Leilani Kapinus, who hit a wide-open layup to send the game into overtime tied at 67-67. The Dores were outscored 10-6 in overtime, as the Ducks handed them the four-point defeat.

The Dores concluded the 2024-25 season with a 22-11 overall record. Vanderbilt made its second-straight March Madness appearance for the first time since the 2012-13 and 2014-15 seasons.

Freshman Mikayla Blakes paced a trio of double-digit scorers for Vandy with a 26-point effort. The All-American extended her career-long double-digit scoring streak to 19 games. It was the 21st time this season that Blakes has scored 20 or more points in a contest. The 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year and All-SEC first team selection pulled down five rebounds and collected three steals in 42 minutes of game time.

Sophomore Khamil Pierre had a 17-point effort. It was the 11th-straight game that the 6-2 forward tallied 10-plus points, while it was the 33rd time over the last 34 games that Pierre has registered double-digit points. Graduate student Jordyn Oliver scored 10 points and matched Blakes with three steals in her final collegiate game.

The Commodores shot 37.3 percent from the floor, while Oregon hit 46.6 percent of its shots from the floor. The Ducks made eight shots from behind the arc and shot 50 percent on 3-pointers, while Vanderbilt was limited to just two 3-point field goals. The Dores pulled down 14 offensive rebounds that led to a 13-5 advantage in second chance points.

How It Happened
The two squads traded blows in the first quarter, as neither team held more than a three-point lead, with Oregon taking a 12-9 edge in the second quarter. The Ducks pushed their lead out to six points at 19-13 early in the second stanza. The Commodores used a 9-4 run to pull within a point of the Ducks at 23-22 with 3:31 remaining before halftime. Oregon ended the stanza on a 13-3 spurt to take a 36-25 lead into the locker room.

Oregon registered the first eight points of the third quarter to take an 18-point lead at 43-25 at the 7:25 mark. The Ducks would push their lead to as high as 19 points in the third. A 14-7 run by Vanderbilt closed the frame and cut the deficit to 55-43 going into the fourth quarter.

A 12-2 spurt from the Commodores pulled them within five points at 62-57 with 4:39 left to play. After an Oregon timeout, the Ducks scored back-to-back buckets to push their lead back out to nine points. Vanderbilt rolled off eight-straight points to make it a one-point game at 66-65. A free throw from the Ducks put them up 67-65 with 34 seconds remaining. On Vanderbilt’s final possession of regulation, Kapinus hit a wide-open layup to send the game into overtime tied at 67-67.

A 3-pointer from junior Justine Pissott gave the Dores a 70-68 lead in the opening stages of overtime. Oregon answered with a 3-pointer of its own to reclaim a 71-70 advantage. Pissott tied the game once again with a free throw on the ensuing possession. Oregon hit four-consecutive free throws in the closing minute to post the 77-73 win.

Head coach Shea Ralph on the Result
“I want to give credit to Oregon. They shot the ball very well today. I also want to give credit to my team and our players for the growth they continue to have. It wasn’t the result we wanted, but that doesn’t take away from the season that we had, or the position that we put ourselves in. I think right now, especially when you’re younger, it’s hard to see that growth. Our locker room is struggling a little bit, but my hope is that when they get through this moment they will see the growth that they’ve had.

“The players know that the Vanderbilt community and some people across the women’s basketball community witnessed that growth and can have some appreciation for the fact that these kids believed in themselves and our coaching staff. We took over almost four years ago and this program wasn’t close to where it is now. That is a direct result of the kid’s belief and commitment that they made to me and our program. I can’t thank them enough for that.”

Dore Notes

• Vandy finished the 2024-25 season at 22-11 overall and 8-8 in the SEC, marking back-to-back 20-plus win seasons for the first time since the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons
• The Commodores made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since the 2012-13 and 2013-14 campaigns
• In her NCAA Tournament debut, freshman Mikayla Blakes posted a team-high 26 points, marking her 32nd game this season scoring in double figures
• Blakes extended her double-digit scoring streak to 19 games and grabbed five rebounds, made three steals and dished two assists
• Blakes scored 20-plus points for the 21st time this season and the fourth-straight game
• Sophomore Khamil Pierre finished with 17, scoring in double figures for the 33rd time over her last 34 games
• Leilani Kapinus had eight rebounds, the most since grabbing seven on Feb. 23 against South Carolina
• The Dores had 12 steals, with four players having multiple swipes. It marks the 14th straight game with multiple Dores having multiple takeaways
• Graduate student Jordyn Oliver finished with 10 points to mark her second game this season with 10-plus
• Oliver had three steals, marking her sixth straight game with multiple steals
• The graduate student also grabbed six rebounds, the most since Jan. 5 against Kentucky when she had nine boards
• Senior Iyana Moore dished a team-high seven assists, matching her career-high and marking the sixth time this year with at least five assists
• Overall, the Commodores are 40-29 in NCAA Tournament games
• The Dores fall to 2-1 against Oregon all-time

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