Vanderbilt (10-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. UAlbany (9-2, 0-0 America East)
Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 • 6:30 p.m. CT
Memorial Gymnasium • Nashville, Tenn. • SEC Network+ • Tickets
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Program • Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 13/11-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team seeks its best start in 29 years on Thursday night, 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+.
Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt enters Thursday’s contest sporting a perfect record through the first 10 games of the 2025-26 season. It is the first time since the 2011-12 campaign that Vandy has opened a season at 10-0. The Dores are coming off an 87-58 win over South Florida on Monday night at Memorial Gym. All five starters scored double-digit points in the 29-point victory over the Bulls.
>> The Commodores are seeking their first 11-0 start since the 1995-96 season. Vanderbilt has started a season at 11-0 a total of three times, which occurred in the 1991-92, 1992-93, and 1995-96 seasons.
>> Thursday marks the third game of Vanderbilt’s month-long, five-game homestand. The Dores host Texas Southern on Saturday (noon), then close out the homestand on Dec. 28 against Stonehill (2 p.m.). Fans can purchase tickets to any Vanderbilt women’s basketball game by clicking the link here.
>> The Dores have won 25-straight nonconference home games dating back to the 2022-23 season. Vanderbilt is 38-3 inside Memorial Gym against non-league teams under head coach Shea Ralph. Overall, Vandy is 52-21 at home under Ralph’s direction.
>> Vandy and UAlbany will match up on the hardwood for the second time ever. The Dores won the lone game between the two schools, capturing a 52-41 victory over the Great Danes in Memorial Gym during Coach Ralph’s first season at Vanderbilt on Dec. 8, 2021.
Game Coverage
Thursday’s contest airs live at 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+, with Andrew Allegretta and Richard Hendrix on the call. Fans can listen to Jake Lyman locally on 94.9 The Fan and the Vanderbilt Commodores app outside of Nashville.
National Rankings
The Commodores came in at No. 13 in the Associated Press top 25 and No. 11 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches poll this week. It marks the program’s highest ranking in either poll since the 2012-13 season.
It is Vanderbilt’s highest ranking in the AP top 25 since Week 2 of the 2012-13 season, when the Dores were also ranked 13th.
Vandy’s No. 11 ranking in this week’s USA Today/WBCA poll is the program’s highest placement in the coaches’ poll since 2008-09, when the Commodores ended the season at No. 8 in the nation.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt holds a NET ranking of 15 heading into Thursday’s contest. The Dores came in at No. 12 in the first NET rankings of the 2025-26 season. Vandy has collected two Quad 2 and three Quad 3 wins through the first 10 contests this season. The NET is an evaluation tool used by the NCAA Selection Committee to determine seeding and bids.
Undefeated
Vanderbilt has won all 10 of its games coming into Thursday’s contest against UAlbany. The Commodores are one of 12 undefeated teams left in NCAA Division I this season, while they are one of five unbeaten SEC teams.
Nonconference Domination
The Commodores are 59-19 against nonconference foes in the Ralph era. Vanderbilt has won 16 consecutive regular-season games against non-SEC teams heading into Thursday’s contest against UAlbany.
Balanced Scoring
Vanderbilt has had three or more players score double-digit points in all 10 games to open the 2025-26 season. Recently, the Commodores had all five starters record double-figure points in the Dec. 15 win over South Florida.
One of the Nation’s Best Scorers
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes heads into the Thursday ranking third nationally in scoring at 25.0 points per game, which also ranks as the second-best scoring average in the SEC this season. The 5-8 guard has scored 25-plus points in three of her last four games, and she is coming off a 19-point performance against South Florida.
Tall Dores
Vanderbilt has eight players who are 6-2 or taller on its 2025-25 season, with the tallest player being 6-6 center Aalyah Del Rosario. The 2025-26 Commodores hold an average height of 6-1, a growth spurt of four inches compared to their team average height of 5-10 from a season ago.
The increase in height on the roster has allowed the Dores to rank 21st in the NCAA in blocks per game at 5.4. Junior Aiyana Mitchell is ninth in the SEC in blocks per game at 1.5, which also ranks 75th in all of NCAA Division I.
Scouting the Great Danes
UAlbany holds a 9-2 record and a NET of 78 coming into Memorial Gym. The Great Danes have won seven-straight games entering Thursday’s game. UAlbany is led by eighth-year head coach Colleen Mullen, who is 134-88 overall, and has guided the team to 22-plus wins in each of the last four seasons.
Sophomore Delanie Hill and freshman Amaya Stewart lead the Great Danes in scoring, as each player is averaging 13.7 points per game. The 6-1 Stewart, who plays in a reserve role, is second on the team in rebounding at 5.9 caroms per game. Sophomore Martina Borrellas rounds out UAlbany’s trio of double-digit scorers at 10.7 points per game, while junior Lara Lagermann is putting up 9.6 points per contest and is one of two players who have made 24-plus 3-pointers this season.
The Great Danes are averaging 63.9 points per game and give up 50.8 points. UAlbany is shooting 47.2 percent from the floor and 39.8 percent from behind the arc. Defensively, the Great Danes allow opponents to shoot 36.7 percent from the field and 25.8 percent beyond the 3-point line.
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