NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 8/9-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team posted its highest point total this century to kick off the 2026-27 campaign, as the Commodores collected a 112-53 victory over Lipscomb at Memorial Gymnasium Monday afternoon.
Vandy’s high-octane offense set the program record for most points scored in a season opener. The 112 points scored on Monday are the most in a game for the Dores since a 116-point output against Hampton Nov. 29, 1998, at Memorial Gym. Overall, the 112 points registered on Monday are tied for the sixth-most Vanderbilt has scored in a contest in school history.
The victory puts Vanderbilt at 1-0 for the sixth consecutive season. Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph is the only person in program history to lead the Dores to six straight season-opening victories.
All-American Mikayla Blakes was dominant and efficient to open her junior campaign. The reigning SEC Player of the Year collected a game-best 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes played. The guard shot a blistering 61.1 percent from the field and added a team-best four steals and two blocks to her stat line against the Bisons.
Blakes’ performance on Monday marked the eighth time in her career she has registered 20-plus points, 5-plus rebounds and 5-plus assists in a game. It is the second time she has accomplished the feat against Lipscomb, as she had 23 points, five assists and five rebounds versus the Bison in her first collegiate game on Nov. 4, 2024.
Sophomore Aubrey Galvan got her sophomore season started on a high note as well. The point guard dished out a game-high 11 assists to go along with 16 points to post her third career double-double. It is the fourth time Galvan has had 10 or more assists in a contest, while the Deerfield, Illinois, native did not commit a turnover in 26 minutes of action.
In total, Vanderbilt had five players tally double-figure points in Monday’s season-opening victory. All 12 Dores who saw the court against Lipscomb scored at least one point.
Junior Mia Woolfolk had 15 points to go along with five rebounds, and shot 60 percent from the field (6-of-10) in her Commodore debut. Senior Madison Greene tallied 19 points and went 7-of-10 in 21 minutes off the bench, while senior Aiyana Mitchell scored 10 points and five rebounds playing 12 minutes in a reserve role.
Vanderbilt jumped out to a 13-2 advantage three minutes into the contest and never looked back. The Commodores led by as many as 63 before settling for the 59-point victory.
The Dores shot 62.5 percent (45-of-72) from the floor, while holding Lipscomb to 30.5 percent (18-of-59). Vandy held a 62-16 advantage in points in the paint, while the Commodores posted a 42-3 edge in points off turnovers. Vanderbilt forced the Bisons into 31 turnovers on Monday, as the Dores had 22 steals as a team. Blakes, Galvan and Greene each had four steals on the afternoon.
The 45 made field goals against Lipscomb are tied for fifth-most in school history. It is the most field goals made by Vanderbilt since sinking 46 shots from the floor at Tennessee State on Nov. 25, 2019. Vanderbilt scored 63 points over the first two quarters, which were the second-most points registered in an opening 20 minutes this century.
It was also Education Day at Memorial Gym on Monday. Several thousand Nashville area schoolchildren were in attendance to root on the Commodores, as the game's official attendance was 7,023.
Head Coach Shea Ralph on the Result
“I loved being back in Memorial, and I loved the energy of the gym having schoolchildren from the Nashville area. It was an amazing environment. I love this team. I’m excited about what is ahead, but we’re going to take it one day at a time. Today was a really good day, and our entire team got better.”
Up Next
The Commodores continue their season-opening four-game homestand on Wednesday, as Vanderbilt welcomes in Queens. Tipoff against the Royals is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, and streams live on SEC Network+.
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Dore Notes
- Vanderbilt opens a season with a win for the sixth straight season
- It is the first time the Commodores have won six consecutive openers since rolling off 11-straight victories in Game 1 from 2006-07 to 2016-17
- Shea Ralph is the only Vanderbilt head coach to begin their career with six consecutive season-opening wins
- The Dores are now 41-9 all-time in season openers and 30-3 when the first game of the season is played at Memorial Gym
- Vanderbilt has now won 20 straight games at Memorial Gym dating back to 2024-25, which is the longest home winning streak for the Dores this century
- The Commodores improve to 65-21 at home under head coach Shea Ralph and 40-9 since the start of the 2023-24 campaign
- Vandy is now 64-20 against nonconference foes in the Ralph era and has won 21 straight regular season games against nonconference foes
- The Dores are now 20-0 all time against Lipscomb and 10-0 in games against the Bisons with both teams in NCAA Division I
- Mikayla Blakes extended her active double-digit scoring streak to 54 games, which is the longest streak by a Commodore this century and the third-longest double-digit scoring streak among all active NCAA players
- Blakes became the eighth player in program history to score over 1,700 career points
- Blakes recorded her eighth career game with 20-plus points, 5-plus rebounds and 5-plus assists, while it is the second time she has accomplished the feat against Lipscomb
- Aubrey Galvan collected her third career double-double with 16 points and 11 assists
- Her 11 assists marked the fourth time in her career that Galvan has registered 10-plus assists in a game
- Galvan also extended her double-digit scoring streak to six games dating back to last season
- Mia Woolfolk tallied 15 points in her Vanderbilt debut to extend her personal double-digit scoring streak to 14 games dating back to last season
- Woolfolk was one of five Commodores to make their debut on Monday, along with Vernell Atamah, Jhai Johnson, Olivia Jones and Saniyah Glenn-Bello
- Madison Greene played in her first game for the Dores in 531 days after missing last season due to injury