NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 13-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team remained perfect through 10 games to open the 2025-26 season, as the Commodores posted an 87-58 victory over South Florida on Monday night at Memorial Gymnasium.
The Dores improve to 10-0 for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign. It is the sixth time in program history that Vandy has begun a season with 10 or more consecutive wins. Vanderbilt also collected its 25th-straight home win over a nonconference opponent, a streak that dates back to the 2022-23 season.
It was a total team effort in the win over South Florida, as No. 13 Vanderbilt had all five starters register double-digit points. In total, nine of the 11 Dores that played against the Bulls scored. It is also the second time this season that Vandy has had all five starters record 10-plus points in a game.
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes paced Vanderbilt’s quintet of double-figure scorers. The All-American had 19 points to extend her double-digit scoring streak to 29 games, which is currently the fifth-longest scoring streak in the nation.
Graduate Sacha Washington scored a season-high 16 points. The 6-2 forward was one of three Vanderbilt players to pull down a team-high six rebounds against USF, as Blakes and senior Justine Pissott matched Washington’s efforts on the glass.
Pissott scored double digits for the third time in the last four games, as she scored 13 points and drilled three 3-point field goals. Meanwhile, freshman Aubrey Galvan registered double-digit points for the fourth time in her last five games with an 11-point effort against the Bulls, while the first-year point guard dished out a team-high eight assists. Graduate Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda rounded out the group with a 10-point effort.
Dores trailed the Bulls 7-2 to open the game, but ended the first quarter on a 9-0 run to take an 11-7 lead into the second quarter. The Commodores used a 13-0 spurt midway through the second stanza to take a double-digit lead they would never relinquish. Vandy led by as many as 30 points in the fourth quarter before settling for the 29-point win.
The Commodores shot 42.3 percent from the field, while equaling their season-high in made 3-pointers with 12 against South Florida. Vanderbilt also went a perfect 15-of-15 from the free throw line. Vandy forced USF into 20 turnovers, which led the Dores to a 28-8 edge in points off turnovers.
Head Coach Shea Ralph on the Win
“I’m really proud of our team tonight. This is a good team we played. I love playing against South Florida; they’ve been good for a really long time. I’m really excited about the opportunity Michelle now has with that team. We knew this was going to be a great test, especially after finals. You could see in the first quarter that we were a little bit rusty, but I loved the opportunity that we had tonight to get a lot of people into the game. I love that we had 24 assists and shot 100 percent from the free throw line. There are always things we can get better at, and some of those popped up again tonight. I’m proud of my team for being locked in today after exams and everything else going on around this time of year with the holidays.”
Up Next
No. 13 Vanderbilt continues its month-long, five-game homestand on Thursday, as the Commodores welcome UAlbany to Memorial Gymnasium. Tipoff against the Great Danes is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and streams live on SEC Network+.
Dore Notes
- Vanderbilt moves to 10-0 for the first time since the 2011-12 season
- It’s just the sixth time in program history that the Commodores have started a season 10-0
- Vandy notched its 25th-consecutive nonconference win inside Memorial Gym
- Vanderbilt is 38-3 at home vs. nonconference opponents and 52-21 overall at Memorial Gymnasium under head coach Shea Ralph
- The Dores maintain their perfect 5-0 record vs. South Florida
- The Commodores were a perfect 15-of-15 from the free throw line. It is the first time since March 2, 2025, that Vandy has recorded a 1.000 free-throw percentage, and the first time since Dec. 1, 2024, that the Dores have registered a 1.000 free-throw percentage with 10-plus makes
- It’s the third time this season that Vanderbilt has had five or more players score 10-plus points, and the sixth time this season with four or more Dores scoring double-digit points
- Three or more Commodores have scored in double figures in all 10 games of the 2025-26 season
- Mikayla Blakes, who ended the night with 19 points, extended her double-digit scoring streak to 29 games
- The sophomore has scored 10-plus points in 42 of 43 games in her Vanderbilt career
- Justine Pissott scored in double figures for the sixth time this season and for the third time in the last four games
- With a season-high 16 points, Sacha Washington has scored 10-plus points in back-to-back contests and seven times this season
- Washington made a season-high six free throws
- Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda reached double-digit points for the fourth time this season with 10
- Aubrey Galvan registered a pair of steals, her eighth outing this season with multiple steals
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