TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Freshman Mikayla Blakes scored 33 points to help the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team collect a 66-64 win at No. 19/19-ranked Alabama on Sunday afternoon.
Blakes, the reigning USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week, put on a show in front of the award’s namesake, who was calling the game on SEC Network. Her 33-point performance marked the second time this season that Blakes has scored 30 or more points in a game, joining Barbara Brackman (1981-82) as the only Vanderbilt freshmen to register 30-plus points in multiples games in a season. The Somerset, New Jersey, native came up clutch in the second half, as Blakes scored 19 points over the final two quarters to help Vanderbilt erase a nine-point deficit in the third quarter.
With the win, Vanderbilt improves to 17-4 overall and 4-3 in SEC play. The Commodores collected their second victory over a ranked opponent this season. It is the first time since 2015-16 that the Dores have collected multiple wins over ranked foes in a season. The victory also snaps Vanderbilt’s 10-game losing streak to Alabama. It is Vandy’s first road win over a top-25 opponent since knocking off No. 24 Missouri, 56-52, on Feb. 28, 2016.
It was a back-and-forth contest on Sunday, which featured eight lead changes and five ties. The Commodores trailed the Crimson Tide 41-32 halfway through the third quarter, but Vanderbilt closed the frame on a 10-0 run to take a 42-41 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Dores pushed their lead to six points in the opening minutes of the fourth, but the No. 19-ranked team in the nation fought back and tied the game at 60-60 with two minutes left on the clock. Blakes went on a personal 5-0 run from that point to give Vanderbilt a 65-60 advantage with 59 seconds left. An Alabama 3-point field goal made it a 65-63 affair with 41 seconds remaining.
With Vanderbilt leading by two, the Crimson Tide decided to play defense rather than extend the game at the free throw line. Vandy got two offensive rebounds on its final possession before Blakes went to the line, where she would go 1-of-2 to make it a 66-63 contest. Alabama also went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe on the ensuing possession, as Vandy called a timeout to advance the ball with three seconds left, holding a 66-64 lead. Vanderbilt turned over the inbounds pass, however, Alabama was unable to get a shot off in time, as the Commodores secured the two-point victory.
Sophomore Khamil Pierre posted her 12th double-double of the season with a 12-point, 14-rebound effort. Pierre’s 12-point outing extended her double-digit scoring streak to 23 games dating back to last season.
Vanderbilt shot 33.8 percent from the floor, while Alabama shot 51.9 percent. The Commodores held a 39-36 edge on the glass and collected 20 offensive rebounds. Vandy forced the Crimson Tide into 23 turnovers, which led to a 30-15 edge in points off turnovers for the Dores.
How It Happened
Neither team could gain an advantage over the first seven-plus minutes of play. Neither team held a lead of more than three points, as Vanderbilt took a 15-13 lead into the first media break. Alabama scored the final six points of the first quarter to take a 19-15 lead over the Dores after 10 minutes.
Senior Iyana Moore ended the Crimson Tide run with a jumper to open the second frame. Back-to-back buckets from Alabama pushed the Commodore deficit to 23-17 at the 7:49 mark. Vanderbilt went on a 7-2 run from that point, with Blakes scoring all seven points for the Dores to pull Vandy within a point at 25-24. Vandy reclaimed a 26-25 lead with a layup from graduate Leilani Kapinus. Alabama ended the quarter on a 9-2 run, as the Commodores went into the locker room trailing 34-27.
Vanderbilt got a 3-pointer from graduate Jane Nwaba that pulled the Dores within four points to open the third. Alabama answered with a 3-point field goal of its own. Two-straight baskets from the Crimson Tide pushed Vandy’s deficit to a game-high nine points at 41-32 midway through the frame. Vanderbilt responded with a 12-0 run to close the third quarter and take a 44-41 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Dores expanded their advantage to six points in the opening stages of the fourth quarter. Consecutive baskets by Alabama cut the Vanderbilt lead to 57-56 with 4:23 remaining. Three-straight free throws from the Commodores pushed their lead to 60-56 at the 3:07 mark. Alabama tied the game at 60-all with 2:01 left to play. Blakes rolled off five-straight points after the tie to give Vanderbilt a 65-60 lead they would never relinquish.
Head Coach Shea Ralph on the Win
“First, I want to say that I have a ton of respect for Kristy Curry and her staff. I haven’t been a head coach for very long, but we have bonded over parenting. The encouragement she’s given me, especially when we first got to Vanderbilt it’s very tough. I’ll never take that for granted. I hate that one of us had to come away with a loss today. Seeing that we haven’t beaten them in my four years here, I am glad that we got the win.
“I’m also really proud of our team. The message we’ve been consistently preaching to our team is what it looks like when we are consistent in all the things that require no talent. In the first half, our shots weren’t falling, but if we didn’t defend, we weren’t going to be able to dig ourselves out of that hole. We have to be consistent in those tiny details, especially with our defense and rebounding. If we can hang our hat on defense and rebounding, then that gives us a chance to be competitive with anyone in the country. It was a good day for us, but this is just another step in the right direction.
Up Next
The Commodores continue their two-game SEC road trip on Thursday, as Vanderbilt travels to Florida. Tipoff against the Gators is set for 6 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
Dore Notes
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- Freshman Mikayla Blakes extended her double-digit scoring streak to seven games with a 33-point outing at Alabama
- Her 33 points at Alabama set the program record for most points scored by a Vanderbilt freshman in a road contest
- Blakes’ 33 points are tied for the third-most points scored in a game by a Vanderbilt freshman, matching Harriet Brumfield’s total vs. Western Kentucky on Dec. 4, 1981
- It is Blakes’ third-straight game with 20-plus points, while it is her 13th game with 20 or more points this season
- It is the 20th time this season that Blakes has scored 10-plus points in a game, and it is her fourth game with 25-plus points
- Sophomore Khamil Pierre collected her 12th double-double of the season with a 12-point, 14-rebound effort against the Crimson Tide
- Pierre’s 12 double-doubles are tied for the third most in NCAA Division I this season
- Pierre also added five steals to her stat line, which marks her fourth game this season with 5-plus steals.
- Senior Iyana Moore had her 13-game double-digit scoring streak snap with an eight-point outing
- Vanderbilt improves to 35-22 all-time against Alabama
- The Commodores snap a 10-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide, as Vandy’s last win over Alabama came on Jan. 26, 2017, with an 87-80 victory in Nashville
- Vandy posted its first win in Coleman Coliseum since collecting a 54-48 victory on Jan. 10, 2016
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