(RV/RV) Vanderbilt (18-6, 5-5 SEC) vs. Mississippi State (17-8, 4-7 SEC)
Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 • 8 p.m. CT
Memorial Gymnasium • Nashville, Tenn. • SEC Network • Tickets
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team welcomes Mississippi State to the Music City on Thursday for an SEC matchup. Tipoff against the Bulldogs is set for 8 p.m. and airs live on SEC Network.
Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt returns to Memorial Gymnasium looking to snap a two-game skid. The Dores have dropped back-to-back games against Ole Miss (76-61) and at No. 4/6 Texas (87-66). Vandy holds an 18-6 overall record and a 5-5 mark in SEC play.
>> Vanderbilt is 12-2 at home this season. The Commodores are 24-7 at Memorial Gymnasium over the last two seasons and are 45-19 at home under head coach Shea Ralph. The Dores enter Thursday seeking their 13th win of the season at Memorial Gym. A victory would give Vanderbilt its highest win total at home in a season since 2011-12 when Vandy won 18 home games.
>> The Commodores enter the week leading the SEC in team free throw percentage at 77.8 percent. It is the 16th-best free throw percentage in NCAA Division I this season. Freshman Mikayla Blakes leads Vanderbilt with an 86.8 percent free throw percentage. Blakes is making 88.6 percent (70-of-79) of her free throws in SEC play.
>> Thursday will be the 52nd meeting between the Commodores and Bulldogs. Vandy holds the all-time series lead at 27-24 against Mississippi State. The Dores ended a nine-game losing streak to MSU last season with a 71-66 victory in Starkville, Mississippi. Vandy is 1-2 vs. Mississippi State under Coach Ralph.
>> Vanderbilt is 19-6 all-time against Mississippi State at Memorial Gymnasium. The Commodores have dropped each of the last four home games against the Bulldogs. The last Vandy victory against MSU in Memorial Gym happened on Jan. 11, 2015, when the Dores collected a 78-62 win.
Game Coverage
Thursday’s contest vs. Mississippi State airs live on SEC Network with Sam Gore and Anne O’Neil calling the action. Fans can listen to Jake Lyman locally on 94.9 The Fan and the Vanderbilt Commodores app outside of Nashville. Fans can also follow along via live stats.
Play4Kay and Healthcare Appreciation Game
Support the fight against ALL cancers affecting women by helping us honor the late Coach Kay Yow and the Play4Kay Cancer Fund.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt enters Thursday holding a NET ranking of 22. The Commodores came in at No. 7 in the first NET ranking of the 2024-25 season, the highest NET ranking in program history. The NET is an evaluation tool the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses to determine seeding and at-large bids.
Receiving Votes
The Dores earned votes in this week’s Associate Press Top 25 and USA Today/WBCA Coaches polls. Vanderbilt received 20 votes in each poll. Vanderbilt has earned at least one vote in one of the two major women’s college basketball polls every week this season.
J.O.’s Leadership
Graduate student Jordyn Oliver enters Thursday ranked 13th in NCAA Division I in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.79. The guard leads the team in assists at 3.8 per game, while her 92 total assists are 10th-most in the SEC this season.
Oliver, who is in her sixth season of collegiate basketball, has played in 137 career games, which is tied for 96th-most by active NCAA Division I players.
Mikayla and Khamil Nationally Recognized
Vanderbilt’s underclassmen duo of freshman Mikayla Blakes and sophomore Khamil Pierre have earned their fair share of national recognition of late, as each was named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year Midseason Team on Feb. 12. The Vandy duo were two of 30 players named to the team, while they were two of 11 SEC players selected. Blakes was one of two freshmen to earn a selection, while Pierre was one of six sophomores.
Additionally, Blakes was named to the John R. Wooden Late Midseason Top 20 watch list on Feb. 11, while Pierre was selected to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year watch list on Feb. 5.
Record-Setting SEC Player of the Week for Blakes
Mikayla Blakes was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for a league-leading sixth time to set the school record for the most weekly SEC frosh awards earned in a season.
Blakes scored 22 points, pulled down four rebounds, and collected three steals at No. 4/6 Texas last Thursday in her lone contest of the week. Her six SEC Freshman of the Week selections sets the school record for most weekly SEC freshman honors in a season, breaking Khamil Pierre’s previous record of five set during the 2023-24 campaign.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Mississippi State holds an overall record of 17-8 and 4-7 in SEC play. The Bulldogs have lost five of their last seven games. MSU holds a NET ranking of 34 coming into play this week.
The Bulldogs feature three double-digit scorers led by senior Jerkaila Jordan’s 16.2 points per contest. Senior Eniya Russell is putting up 12.5 points per contest, while junior Madina Okot rounds out the trio with 11.2 points per game and a team-high 9.2 rebounds.
Mississippi State is putting up 76.6 points per game through 25 games this season. The Bulldogs are shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 33.1 percent on 3-point field goals. Defensively, teams are putting up 62.6 points per game against Mississippi State while shooting 37.5 percent from the floor and 30.5 percent from behind the arc.
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