Vanderbilt (14-1, 1-0 SEC) vs. No. 16/16 Kentucky (12-1, 1-0 SEC)
Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 • 2 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 closes its season-long four-game homestand Sunday as the Commodores welcome in No. 16/16-ranked Kentucky. Tipoff against the Wildcats is set for 2 p.m. and streams live on SEC Network+. All tickets are $1 as part of Vanderbilt’s “Grow The Game” campaign.
Starting Five
>> Vandy heads into Sunday’s matchup against No. 16 Kentucky fresh off a 108-82 home win over Georgia on Thursday in its 2024-25 SEC opener. Freshman Mikayla Blakes scored 36 points to set Vanderbilt’s freshman single-game scoring record. Sophomore Khamil Pierre extended her double-digit scoring streak to 17 games with a 28-point performance against the Lady Bulldogs. Graduate Jordyn Oliver recorded 11 assists and 10 rebounds to become the first Commodore since 1999-00 to record a double-double via assists and rebounds.
>> The Commodores are riding a seven-game winning streak coming into Sunday. It is the 15th-longest winning streak in NCAA Division I currently. It is also Vandy’s second winning streak of seven games or longer this season, as the Dores began the season at 7-0. The Commodores are also on an 11-game home winning streak, which began with last season’s 72-55 win over Georgia on March 2, 2024. The Dores are 43-17 at Memorial Gym under head coach Shea Ralph.
>> Vandy has won 14 of its first 15 games of the season for the fifth time in program history, with the last occurrence happening during the 2023-24 season. It marks the first time the Commodores have started back-to-back campaigns at 14-1 or better in school history, as last year’s team opened the season at 16-1.
>> Sunday’s matchup between the Commodores and Wildcats will be the 61st meeting all-time between the schools. Vanderbilt holds the all-time series lead at 33-28 and has won each of the last two contests. The Dores are 3-1 against Kentucky in the Ralph era, which includes last season’s 95-73 victory at Rupp Arena on Jan. 11, 2024.
>> Vandy is 18-8 all-time at Memorial Gymnasium against Kentucky. The Commodores won the last meeting between the two in Nashville on Feb. 19, 2023, as Vanderbilt claimed a 79-57 victory.
Game Coverage
Sunday’s contest against Kentucky streams live on SEC Network+ via the Watch ESPN app, with Alex Gould and Richard Hendrix 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.
Gameday Information
Click the link here for the latest gameday information on entrance, construction, parking, and ticketing information at Memorial Gymnasium. Fans can purchase tickets by clicking the link here.
Grow The Game & 615 Day
Vanderbilt athletics is proud to announce the “Grow the Game” campaign for Sunday’s home contest against No. 16-ranked Kentucky. All tickets to the game against the Wildcats are on sale now for just $1. Fans can click here to purchase tickets.
The “Grow the Game” campaign is an invitation to all fans to help expand the visibility of women’s basketball in the Music City while watching high-level NCAA Division I basketball at an affordable price for all.
It will also be “615 Day” at Memorial Gymnasium on Jan. 5, as fans can enjoy $6 domestic beer, $1 tickets, and $5 pretzels. There will also be a postgame autograph session with the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team.
Blakes’ Record Night
Mikayla Blakes’ 36-point performance in the 108-82 win over Georgia in the 2025 SEC opener set Vanderbilt’s record for most points scored by a freshman in a game. Blakes broke a program record that stood since 1981-82, the first season the NCAA sponsored women’s basketball, when Barbara Brackman’s 42 points against Tennessee on Feb. 26, 1982.
Blakes shot 45 percent from the floor and matched her career-high of five made 3-pointers in the win over the Lady Bulldogs. The Somerset, New Jersey, native dished out five assists and did not commit a turnover in 33 minutes of action during her SEC debut. The guard went 13-of-14 from the free throw line, as the 13 made charity tosses are the most by a Dore in a game this season. It was Blakes’ ninth game with 20 or more points this season, which leads all NCAA freshmen and sets a record for the most 20-point games in a season by a Vandy freshman.
The 36 points are the most points scored by a freshman in the country this season and the most points scored by an NCAA Division I freshman since Audi Crooks’ 40-point performance against Maryland in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. It is also the most points registered by an SEC frosh since Mikaylah Williams’ 42 points vs. Kent State on Nov. 14, 2013.
Dores Seeing Double
A total of nine Commodores have had at least one game scoring double-digit points this season. Sophomore Khamil Pierre and freshman Mikayla Blakes lead the way with 14 games each, while senior Iyana Moore has registered eight games with double-digit points. Sophomore Madison Greene (8), graduates Leilani Kapinus (3), Jane Nwaba (2), and Jordyn Oliver (1), and sophomores Aga Makurat (1) and Aiyana Mitchell (1) (1) round out the list.
Breaking the Century Mark
Vanderbilt scored 100-plus points for the fifth time this season in Thursday’s 108-82 win over Georgia. The five games scoring 100 or more points this season ties the program record for the most in a season with the 1994-95 and 1985-86 teams.
Vandy previously registered a 102-50 win over Lipscomb in the season opener on Nov. 4 and on Nov. 22 in a 104-59 win over Samford. More recently, the Dores scored a 106-40 win over Evansville on Dec. 14 and a 108-82 win over Georgia.
The 108 points ties Vanderbilt’s record for the most points scored in an SEC, as the Dores also hit the mark in a 108-44 victory vs. Mississippi State on Jan. 17, 1993. It is the most points Vandy has registered since the 109-40 win over Lipscomb on Dec. 20, 2006.
Oliver’s Rare Double-Double
Graduate Jordyn Oliver collected a double-double in Thursday’s win over Georgia with a career-best 11 assists and 10 rebounds. It marked the first time a Commodore has posted a double-double via assists and rebounds since 1999-00. She is also the sixth SEC player to accomplish the feat since the turn of the century.
Looking for a Ranked Win
Vanderbilt will be seeking its second win over a ranked opponent in the Shea Ralph era when No. 16/16 Kentucky comes to Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt’s last victory over a ranked foe came on Feb. 24, 2022, when the Dores knocked off No. 15/21 Florida, 63-59, in Nashville.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt enters Sunday holding a NET ranking of 16. 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 26 votes in this week’s Associate Press Top 25 Poll and 23 votes in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. It marks the fifth-straight week that Vanderbilt has been featured in both major college women’s basketball polls.
Scoring Streaks
A pair of Dores enter Sunday’s contest on a double-digit scoring streak. Sophomore Khamil Pierre has registered 10-plus points in 17-straight games, while senior Iyana Moore has scored double figures in eight-consecutive contests.
Pierre’s streak is the longest for a Commodore since 2013-14 when Christina Foggie registered double-digit points in 19-straight games. Pierre’s 17-straight games with 10 or more points are tied for the sixth-longest double-digit scoring streak by a Dore since 1999-00.
Scouting the Wildcats
Kentucky comes to the Music City ranked No. 16 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Wildcats are off to a 1-0 start in the SEC, as Kentucky scored a 91-69 win at home over Mississippi State this past Thursday. UK sports an overall record of 12-1 and holds a NET ranking of 28.
The Wildcats feature five double-digit scorers led by senior Georgia Amoore’s 17.5 points per contest. Sophomore Clara Strack is putting up 15.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, while senior Dazia Lawrence chips in 13.9 points per contest. Junior Teonni Key scores 11.7 points and 9.3 caroms per game, and junior Amelia Hassett averages a double-double at 11.3 points and 10.0 boards per contest.
Kentucky is putting up 79.4 points per game through 13 games this season. The Wildcats are shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 31.9 percent on 3-point field goals. Defensively, teams are putting up 58.0 points per game against Kentucky while shooting 33.7 percent from the floor and 25.0 percent from behind the arc.
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