KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 5/5-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team closed out the 2025-26 regular season with an 87-77 victory at Tennessee to secure the No. 2 seed at next week’s SEC Tournament.
Vanderbilt’s backcourt duo of sophomore Mikayla Blakes and freshman Aubrey Galvan scored a combined 58 points in the win over the Lady Vols. Blakes recorded her third-straight 30-point performance, as the All-American had a game-high 34 points. It is Blakes’ 12th game of the season with 30 or more points. Meanwhile, Galvan registered her fourth 20-point effort of the season with 24 points against the Lady Vols. The first-year point guard also dished out a game-best five assists.
With the win, Vandy concludes the 2025-26 regular season with a 27-3 overall record and a 13-3 mark in SEC games.
Vanderbilt claims the No. 2 seed at the 2026 SEC Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. The Dores have claimed one of the four double byes in the tournament for the first time since the 2010-11 season. It is also the first time since the 2008-09 campaign that Vanderbilt has a top-two seed at the SEC Tournament.
The 27 wins set a school record for most victories in a regular season. Overall, it is the fifth-most total wins in a season in school history. The 13 SEC victories extended the program record for most league wins in a season. Additionally, the victory over Tennessee also marked head coach Shea Ralph’s 100th win at Vanderbilt.
After going into the locker room trailing by six points, the Commodores came out of the break and doubled up on the Lady Vols in the third quarter, outscoring Tennessee 30-15 to take a nine-point advantage into the fourth. Vandy maintained a double-digit lead for nearly the entire fourth quarter, as the Commodores posted their second-ever victory at Tennessee.
Graduate Sacha Washington joined Blakes and Galvan in the double-digit scoring column with a 16-point performance. Washington pulled down a team-best eight rebounds and went 7-of-8 from the floor. With Blakes, Galvan and Washington each scoring double figures, it marks the 27th time this season that Vandy has had three or more players score 10-plus points in a game.
Vanderbilt shot 53.0 percent from the field in the victory and hit 11 3-pointers. The Dores had 19 assists and outperformed the Lady Vols in transition points, 27-19. The Commodores also forced Tennessee into 13 turnovers, which Vandy turned into 24 points.
Head Coach Shea Ralph on the Win
“I love my team. I’m having such a fun time this year. I don’t remember the last time I’ve had this much fun coaching. They are a really good basketball team, obviously. They’re coachable, but I feel like every time we come play a game, whether we’re home or away, no matter the circumstances, we learn something, we grow, and we figure out a way to win. The times we haven’t, we’ve grown from. They’re a resilient bunch. They’re relentless in all the things I ask them to be that I can’t coach. They show up with that every single day, and I think, as human beings, that can be hard to do, especially when you’re young and you’ve got lots of distractions.
“Being able to end our season with a win at Tennessee is really special. We secured a double bye in the SEC Tournament, and I’m really happy for the team, but we’re literally just getting March started. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
Up Next
The No. 5/5 Commodores now head to Greenville, South Carolina, for the 2026 SEC Tournament. Vanderbilt has secured the tournament’s No. 2 seed and will play in its first game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Friday at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
Dore Notes
- Vanderbilt secures the No. 2 seed in the 2026 SEC Tournament with the win
- It is the first time since 2008-09 that Vandy will have a top-2 seed at the SEC Tournament
- The Dores have claimed one of the four double byes in the tournament for the first time since the 2010-11 season
- Vandy collects its 27th victory of the season, which is the fifth-highest win total in a season in school history
- The 27 regular-season wins are the most victories collected in the regular season in school history
- The Dores extended their school record for most SEC wins in a season to 13
- The Commodores post their second win ever over Tennessee in Knoxville
- The Dores have won three-straight games against the Lady Vols for the first time in the series history
- Vanderbilt had three or more players score double-digit points in a game for the 27th time this season
- Mikayla Blakes records her 12th game with 30 or more points this season, which is the most by an SEC player this century
- Blakes extends her double-digit scoring streak to 49 games, which is the longest active streak in the SEC and third-longest among all NCAA Division I players
- Aubrey Galvan collects her 19th game with 10-plus points this season
- Sacha Washington scored 10-plus points for the 16th time this season
Follow Us
For more information and exclusive content on the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team, follow @VandyWBB on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter/X.
