STARKVILLE, Miss. – The No. 5-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team made history on Thursday night, as the Commodores collected an 89-84 victory at Mississippi State to set the school record for the best start to a season, as Vandy is now a perfect 18-0 to open the 2025-26 campaign.
The 18-consecutive victories also mark the longest winning streak at any point in a season in school history. Vanderbilt’s 18-straight wins mark the longest active winning streak in the SEC, while it is the third-longest active streak in NCAA Division I.
Vanderbilt now stands at 5-0 in SEC play. The Commodores are off to their first 5-0 start in league play since the 1992-93 campaign.
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes scored a season-high 38 points to lead Vanderbilt to its second-straight win over Mississippi State at Humphrey Coliseum. The guard shot 47.8 percent from the floor (11-of-23) and hit a game-best five 3-pointers. Blakes went a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line and dished out a game-best seven assists. The guard extends her SEC-leading double-digit scoring streak to 37 games.
Senior Justine Pissott extended her double-digit scoring streak to three games, as the Toms River, New Jersey, native tallied 12 points by sinking a quartet of 3-point field goals. Junior Aiyana Mitchell had her best performance in an SEC game, as the 6-4 forward scored 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds off the bench. Both establish new personal bests for Mitchell in SEC games.
Vanderbilt broke the game open in the third quarter, as a 21-6 run by the Dores turned a 4-point deficit into an 11-point advantage going into the fourth quarter. Vandy had to withstand a late charge from MSU, as the Commodores held on to post a five-point victory.
The Dores shot an even 50 percent from the floor, making 30 of their 60 shots. Vandy made 11 3-pointers and went 18-of-20 from the charity stripe. Vandy forced MSU into 12 turnovers and scored 15 points off Bulldog turnovers.
Head Coach Shea Ralph on the Win
“I’m really proud of my team for coming through in a gritty game on the road in the SEC. It’s never easy in this conference, I don’t care who you’re playing. Mississippi State played a really hard and physical game, but we did what we had to do down the stretch with lots of contributions from everyone, especially from our relentless competitor and leader, Mikayla Blakes. This was a huge win for us. We now have the best start in program history, and I’m honored and blessed to be part of that. Our goals for this season aren’t long winning streaks; it’s championships. But, we understand what we have to do to keep taking steps towards that goal.”
Up Next
The No. 5 Commodores conclude their three-game road trip on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as the Commodores head to Newark, New Jersey, to face Michigan in the 2026 Coretta Scott King Classic on Monday. Tipoff against the Wolverines from the Prudential Center is set for 1:30 p.m. CT and airs nationwide on FOX.
Dore Notes
- Vanderbilt set a record for the best start in school history at 18-0
- The Commodores’ 18-straight wins to open the 2025-26 season also mark the longest winning streak at any point in a season in program history
- Vandy is off to a 5-0 start in SEC play for the first time since the 1992-93 season
- Vanderbilt’s 18-consecutive wins mark is third-longest active winning streak in the country, as the Commodores are only one of three undefeated teams remaining in NCAA Division I
- The Dores are now 38-25 all-time vs. Mississippi State and 13-15 against the Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum
- Vanderbilt has posted back-to-back wins at Mississippi State for the first time since the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons
- The Commodores are now 13-6 in SEC road games since the start of the 2023-24 season
- Sophomore Mikayla Blakes extends her double-digit scoring streak to 37 games with a 38-point performance
- Blakes’ 37-game double-digit scoring streak is the longest active streak in the SEC and the third-longest in NCAA Division I
- Blakes recorded 25-plus points for the 10th time this season and her fifth game with 30-plus points
- Senior Justine Pissott’s 12-point performance extends her double-digit scoring streak to three games
- Pissott has now hit a 3-point field goal in 18-consecutive games
- It is Pissott’s eighth game this season with three-or-more 3-point field goals
- Junior Aiyana Mitchell’s 10 points and eight rebounds vs. Mississippi State are the most she has posted in an SEC game
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