NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mikayla Blakes set the Vanderbilt women’s basketball freshman record for most points scored in a game, as the guard registered 36 points in a 108-82 victory over Georgia to open SEC play.
Blakes broke the program’s freshman single-game scoring record with her 36-point performance against the Lady Bulldogs. The previous record stood for over 42 years, set by Barbara Brackman’s 34 points against Tennessee on Feb. 26, 1982, during the first season that the NCAA sponsored women’s basketball. Blakes’ 36 points against Georgia are the most points scored by a collegiate women’s basketball freshman at the NCAA Division I level this season.
With the win, Vanderbilt improves to 1-0 in SEC play, as the Dores win their conference opener in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2012-13 and 2013-14 campaigns. The Commodores also move to 14-1 overall on the year, as Vanderbilt has won 14 of its first 15 games to open back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history. The victory over Georgia pushes Vanderbilt’s home winning streak to 11 games dating back to last season.
Blakes returned to the double-figure scoring column after a one-game absence, as she registered her first game scoring 30 or more points at the collegiate level. The guard also set the school record for the most games with 20-plus points by a freshman, as Blakes scored over 20 points for the ninth time this season. The Somerset, New Jersey, native shot 45 percent from the floor (9-of-20), dished out five assists, and did not have a turnover in 33 minutes of action. She also matched her career-high in 3-point field goals made with five.
A total of five Commodores scored 10 or more points in the win over Georgia. It is the third time this season that Vanderbilt has had five or more players score at least 10 points in a game.
Sophomore Khamil Pierre extended her double-digit scoring streak to 17 games with a 28-game point effort. She is now tied with Chantelle Anderson (2000-01) and Zuzi Klimesova (2000-01) for the sixth-longest scoring streak by a Commodore since 1999-00. It is also the forward’s 10th game this season with 20 or more points.
Senior Iyana Moore registered 16 points to push her double-figure scoring streak to a season-long eight games. Graduate Jane Nwaba tallied 10 points to post her second double-digit scoring performance at Vanderbilt. Sophomore Madison Greene matched Nwaba with a 10-point effort off the bench, as she scored double-digit points in a reserve role for the seventh time this season.
Graduate Jordyn Oliver collected her first double-double at Vanderbilt as the Prosper, Texas, native dished out a career-high 11 assists to go along with 10 rebounds. Oliver is the first Commodore since 1999-00 to post a double-double via assists and rebounds, while she is the sixth SEC player to accomplish the feat since the turn of the century.
Vanderbilt scored over 100 points in its SEC opener for the first time in school history. It is also the sixth SEC game that the Commodores have posted 100-plus points. The last time Vandy put 100 or more points on an SEC opponent in regulation was March 2, 2007, in a 105-77 win over Florida. It is the fifth time the Dores have registered 100-plus points in a game this season, tying with the 1994-95 and 1985-86 teams for the most 100-point games in a single campaign in school history.
The Commodores shot 47.9 percent from the floor against the Lady Bulldogs, while they hit 11 3-point field goals. Vanderbilt forced Georgia into 17 turnovers, which turned into 26 points for the Dores. Vandy shot 44.0 percent from behind the arc and hit 11 3-point field goals.
How It Happened
Georgia jumped out to an early 8-3 lead, but the Commodores answered with a 9-2 run that gave them a 12-10 advantage to force the Lady Bulldogs to call a timeout at the 4:35 mark. The Dores continued to roll out of the break, as Vandy scored nine-straight points to take a 23-10 lead after a pair of free throws from Greene with 1:25 left to play in the quarter. After a pair of baskets from Georgia, Vanderbilt added a trio of free throws to close the frame, holding a 26-13 lead.
Vanderbilt doubled up the Lady Bulldogs early in the second quarter at 30-15. A 14-5 spurt by the Dores midway through the frame put them up by 24 points at 46-22 after a pair of free throws from Pierre with 2:51 remaining before halftime. Georgia got a 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds of the frame to cut Vanderbilt’s advantage to 50-29 going into halftime.
The Commodores led by as many as 25 points in the early stages of the third quarter, but Georgia scored 12-straight points to make it a 58-45 contest. A Blakes’ 3-point field goal sparked an 11-0 run for the Dores that extended their lead out to 24 points.
Vanderbilt took a 22-point advantage into the fourth quarter. The Commodores maintained a 20-point lead for nearly the entirety of the game’s final frame as Vandy claimed a 26-point win in its 2024-25 SEC opener.
Head Coach Shea Ralph on the Win
“I want our team to be proud, but we’re not satisfied because this is what we expected to do. We’re going to celebrate being 1-0, but there was no crazy celebration in the locker room postgame because we did what we did what we expected. You’ve got to play to win every single night in this conference, and if you don’t, someone is going to beat you. It’s important that we prepare the right way physically but also mentally. We’ve talked a lot about that at practice over the last couple of days.
“I also think the run that we went on last year and getting into the NCAA Tournament and realizing what it takes to continue in that tournament lit a fire within our team. They’re just starting to realize they are capable of achieving way more than they even thought. Those players had to go out there tonight and win, and that’s exactly what they did. Today was big for us because we needed to see this type of performance against competition in our league. This was a big day for us to continue building our confidence. I’m really proud of them, but we’re not satisfied, and we still have a lot of work to do.”
Ralph on Mikayla Blakes’ Record-Setting Performance
“I am really proud of Mikayla. I’ve been saying since the summer that she is special. She is different because she has things inside of her that I can’t coach. She is a winner.”
Mikayla Blakes on Setting Vanderbilt’s Freshman Single-Game Scoring Record
“I’m excited to have a performance like that in my first SEC game. I told my teammates before the game I was a little nervous because this is the best conference to play in. It was great that my teammates had confidence in me and were setting me up with good shots.”
Dore Notes
- The Commodores are 14-1 to start the season for the second year in a row
- It’s the first time in program history that Vanderbilt has started back-to-back campaigns at 14-1 or better
- Vanderbilt collected its 11th consecutive win in Memorial Gymnasium, which began with last season’s 72-55 victory over Georgia on March 3, 2024
- The Dores are now 22-5 over the past two seasons at home
- It is the first time in school history that the Commodores have scored 100-plus points in an SEC opener and the sixth time in program history they’ve accomplished the feat in an SEC game
- The Commodores have scored more than 100 points in five games this season, tying them with the 1985-86 and 1994-95 teams for the most in a single season in school history
- Vanderbilt earned its third-straight victory over Georgia
- The Dores are 3-2 versus the Lady Bulldogs under head coach Shea Ralph
- Vandy forced 14 first-half turnovers, marking the 23rd time this season the Commodores have recorded 10 or more turnovers in any half
- Mikayla Blakes posted 36 points against the Lady Bulldogs, and it is the most points scored by a Vanderbilt freshman in a single game in program history
- Blakes broke the 42-year-old freshman single-game scoring record, previously held by Barbara Brackman, who registered 34 points against Tennessee on Feb. 26, 1982
- Blakes is the fourth freshman in school history to score 30 or more points in a game and the second to do so in an SEC matchup
- It is Blake’s 14th game with 10-plus points this season and ninth game with 20 or more points
- With nine 20-point games, Blakes also set the Vanderbilt freshman record for 20-plus point performances
- Khamil Pierre extended her double-digit scoring streak to 17 games, tying her with Chantelle Anderson (2000-01) and Zuzi Klimesova (2000-01) for the sixth-longest double-digit scoring streak by a Dore since 1999-2000
- It is the 10th time this season that Pierre has posted a 20-point performance
- Blakes and Pierre scored 20-plus points in the same game for the seventh time this season
- Iyanna Moore extended her double-digit scoring streak to eight games after posting 16 points
- Jordyn Oliver recorded a career-high 11 assists, the most by a Commodore this season
- Oliver also grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds to collect her first double-double of the season
- It is Oliver’s fourth of her career double-double and her first at Vanderbilt
- Oliver is the first Commodore since 1999-2000 to record a double-double via rebounds and assists and the sixth SEC player to accomplish the feat since that date
- Madison Greene contributed 10 points off the bench for the Commodores, her seventh game this season scoring 10-plus points off the bench
Up Next
Vanderbilt concludes its season-long four-game homestand Sunday, as the Commodores welcome in No. 16-ranked Kentucky. Tipoff from Memorial Gym is set for 2 p.m. and streams live on SEC Network+.
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