PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team dropped its first contest of the 2024-25 season, as the Commodores fell to Michigan State, 78-70, in the championship game of the 2024 Acrisure Classic.
In a close contest featuring 14 lead changes, Michigan State used a late rally to down the Commodores. Vanderbilt held a 57-56 lead midway through the fourth quarter before the Spartans went on a 17-5 run over the next three minutes of play to take a 73-62 lead that the Dores could not overcome.
The loss moves Vanderbilt to 7-1 on the year, while Michigan State remains a perfect 8-0 overall.
Vandy had a quartet of players register double-digit points on Wednesday. Sophomore Khamil Pierre tallied a team-high 19 points to extend her career-long double-digit scoring streak to 12 games. She went 8-of-14 from the floor, collected a team-best four steals, and dished out a season-best four assists. Pierre was one of three Dores to pull down a team-best six rebounds as her three-game double-double streak came to an end on Wednesday.
Senior Iyana Moore had a season-high 17-point performance in the loss. Freshman Mikayla Blakes extended her double-digit scoring streak to eight games to begin her career with a 13-point effort. Blakes added a pair of steals against the Spartans to remain the only Commodore since at least 2009-10 to start her Vandy career by scoring double-digit points and having multiple steals in each of their first eight games. Graduate student Jordyn Oliver tallied a season-best 10 points and matched Pierre with a team-high four assists.
Vanderbilt shot 40.6 percent from the field, while Michigan State posted a 43.1 percent shooting percentage. The Commodores forced 24 MSU turnovers, which turned into 23 points off turnovers. MSU outrebounded Vanderbilt 48-34 and had 20 offensive boards, which turned into 16 second-chance points for the Spartans.
How It Happened
Vanderbilt erased an early 6-5 Michigan State lead with a 13-2 run, giving the Commodores an 18-8 advantage at the 4:15 mark of the first quarter. The Spartans scored eight-straight points to pull within two points of Vandy at 18-16, but Moore sank a free throw at the end of the frame to put the Dores up 19-16.
The Commodores faced a 22-21 deficit early in the second stanza after Michigan State scored six of the frame’s first eight points. Sophomore Aiyana Mitchell gave the Dores back the lead as her back-to-back baskets put Vanderbilt up 25-22 at the midway point of the second. MSU reclaimed a 26-25 advantage, but Mitchell once again put Vandy back on top as her jumper made it a 27-26 contest with 1:30 left before halftime. Vanderbilt did not allow a field goal over the final 90 seconds before halftime, but Michigan State went 3-of-5 from the charity stripe to go up 29-27 at the break.
Vandy pulled even at 29-29 with a pair of free throws from Blakes on its first possession of the third. MSU took a 33-29 lead, but a 6-0 spurt by the Commodores put them back up 35-33 after a Moore 3-pointer. After Michigan knotted the game back up at 39-all, Vanderbilt rolled off eight-straight points to go up 47-39 with 2:45 left in the third. Michigan State punched back with a 6-2 spurt to cut Vanderbilt’s lead to 49-45 going into the fourth quarter.
The Spartans opened the fourth with a five-point possession to claim a 50-49 lead. That sparked an 11-2 run for MSU to begin the frame, as they held a 56-51 advantage. Vandy responded with six consecutive points to retake a 57-56 lead. Michigan State went on a 17-5 run over the next three minutes to jump out to a 73-62 advantage. Vandy chipped away at its deficit, making it a two-possession game at 76-70 with 38 seconds left in the game. Michigan State was able to keep the Dores at arm’s length for the remainder of the contest, as Vanderbilt dropped an eight-point decision.
Head Coach Shea Ralph on the Result
“There were some moments today that were really good. We had a hard time sustaining those great moments, and I felt like, in the end, Michigan State did the things teams need to do to win games. Those things don’t necessarily show up in the box score. They made a lot more tough plays than us, out-hustled us in big moments, and you can just look at the stat sheet and see 20 offensive rebounds, and that will tell you what you need to know about that. There is a lot you can learn from a game like this, this early in the season. So far, I feel like our team has continued to grow. I’m certainly disappointed in the loss, but we can grow from this, and I look forward to doing that.”
Up Next
The Commodores return to action Sunday as Vanderbilt welcomes Appalachian State to the Music City. Tipoff from Memorial Gymnasium is set for 2 p.m., and streams live on SEC Network+.
Dore Notes
- Sophomore Khamil Pierre extended her double-digit scoring streak to 12 games by scoring 19 points against the Spartans
- Pierre dished out a career-best four assists
- Senior Iyana Moore scored double-digit points for the third time in the last four games with a 17-point performance
- It is the 48th game that Iyana Moore has scored double-digit points at Vanderbilt, while it is her 30th game with 15-plus points
- Graduate student Jordyn Oliver registered double-digit points for the first time this season by scoring 10 points against MSU
- Oliver dished out three or more assists for the fourth time in the last five games with four helpers against the Spartans
- Freshman Mikayla Blakes had 13 points and two steals, as she is the only Commodore since at least 2009-10 to begin their career with eight-straight games with double-digit points and multiple steals
- Vandy’s season-opening seven-game win streak came to an end
- Vanderbilt falls to 3-1 all-time vs. Michigan State
- The Commodores are now 41-14 all-time against nonconference teams under head coach Shea Ralph
- The Dores trailed Michigan State at halftime, 29-27, marking the first time this season that Vanderbilt has gone into the break with a deficit
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