NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball registered 100-plus points for the second time this season, as the Commodores posted a 104-59 win over Samford Friday at Memorial Gymnasium to close out a three-game homestand.
Vandy got a pair of double-doubles from sophomore Khamil Pierre and graduate student Leilani Kapinus in the win over the Bulldogs. The duo were among six Commodores to score double figures on Friday. They are the first set of Commodore teammates to post a double-double in the same game since March 7, 2024, when Pierre (16 points, 15 rebounds) and Sacha Washington (10 points, 11 rebounds) accomplished the feat against Florida in the first round of the 2024 SEC Tournament.
With the win, Vanderbilt improves to 6-0 for the second-straight season, while Samford falls to 2-5. It is the first time since the 2003-04 and 2004-05 campaigns that the Commodores have started back-to-back seasons with six-straight victories.
Pierre registered a game-high 21 points and pulled down a team-best 12 rebounds. She now has five double-doubles this season, which is tied for the most in all of NCAA Division I. The 6-2 forward went 10-of-16 from the floor and added four steals to her stat line against the Bulldogs.
Kapinus posted her first double-double at Vanderbilt with an 11-point, 10-rebound effort off the bench. It is Kapinus’ 13th career double-double, while she is the first Dore to record a double-double off the bench since Pierre’s 17-point, 10-rebound performance vs. Auburn on Jan. 18, 2024.
The duo were two of six Commodores to score double-digit points in Friday’s victory. Sophomore Madison Greene tallied a season-high 16 points off the bench and went 7-of-9 from the field. Greene registered a career-high six assists against the Bulldogs. Freshman Mikayla Blakes collected 14 points to extend her double-digit streak to six games to open her Vandy career and dished out five assists.
Senior Iyana Moore matched Kapinus with 11 points. Sophomore Aiyana Mitchell scored double figures for the first time in her Vandy career with a 10-point outing against Samford.
The Commodore offense was humming once again against Samford, as the Dores scored 104 points for the second time this season. The first came in the 102-50 season-opening victory over Lipscomb on Nov. 4. It is the first time since 2010-11 that Vanderbilt has scored 100-plus points in multiple games in a single campaign.
Vandy shot 50.6 percent from the field, as the Dores have now posted a shooting percentage of 50 percent or higher in each of their last three games. Vandy forced Samford into 22 turnovers, which turned into 24 points. The Commodores used their size advantage over the Bulldogs throughout the night, as Vanderbilt outscored its opponent 60-22 in points in the paint. Vandy also tallied a season-high 43 points off the bench in the win.
How It Happened
Neither team held more than a four-point lead in the first quarter, as the stanza featured three ties and six lead changes. Samford took a 21-19 lead after a 3-point field goal with 1:36 left to play in the frame, and that’s where the score stood after 10 minutes of play.
Much like its contest against Hampton this past Wednesday, Vanderbilt came out swing in the second quarter. The Dores opened the frame on a 14-0 run to take a 12-point lead at 33-21. Vandy closed the second quarter on an 8-3 run to take a 14-point advantage into the locker room. The Commodores held Samford to eight points in the second stanza, marking the ninth time this season that they’ve held a foe to single-digit points in a quarter.
The Dores continued to roll in the third, as they built a 23-point lead at 66-43 before taking a 21-point advantage into the fourth quarter. Vanderbilt scored a season-high 38 points in the night’s final stanza to claim a 45-point victory over the Bulldogs.
Head Coach Shea Ralph on the Win
“Overall, I’m really proud of our effort. One of the things that I know about good teams is that you never know who is going to step up night in and night out. I think we have the makings to be a really good team because we have different players who can lead us in different games. This team has the mindset of doing what it takes to win, and not many teams have that mindset. What I love about coaching this team is that they do play for each other, and they love one another. It’s really cool to see because we have so many good players. It’s an important piece to building a great program and a great team.
“I’m again disappointed in our start. We’re going to have to keep working on that. Our last three quarters were much better, but I feel like we gave them way too many wide-open 3-pointers. I don’t like playing on our heels to start the game. We’ll have to keep working on that in practice. I also think it’s good to be tested like that this early in the season. Are we going to come out and have a perfect start every game? No. I know that it’s basketball, and we’re all human, and these things happen. But I’m very encouraged that we have found a way to respond to the last couple of games. Really proud of Leilani. She is a tough kid, and she showed who she is tonight.”
Up Next
The Commodores head to the Golden State for a pair of games at the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs, California, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Vandy takes on Arizona at Acriscure Arena on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. CT, then plays California or Michigan State on Wednesday at either 1 p.m. or 3:30m p.m. CT. Both of the Acrisure Classic games will be televised live on TruTV and streamed on Max.
Dore Notes
- Vanderbilt is off to a 6-0 start for the second year in a row
- The last time the Commodores started back-to-back seasons with six straight wins came during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 campaigns
- The last time the Dores scored 100 or more points in two or more games in a season was in 2010-11
- The Dores move to 5-0 all-time versus Samford
- It was Vandy’s 16th consecutive nonconference home win dating back to the 2022-23 season
- The Dores are now 29-5 against nonconference opponents in Memorial Gymnasium under head coach Shea Ralph
- Vanderbilt is 38-13 versus non-SEC schools in the Ralph Era
- Vanderbilt scored 38 points in the fourth quarter, which is the most points the Dores have scored in a quarter this season
- Khamil Pierre extended her double-digit scoring streak to nine games with 21 points
- Pierre also added 12 boards, good for her fifth double-double of the season
- Madison Greene had a 16-point performance, a season-high, and her fourth straight game scoring 10-plus points off the bench
- It was Leilani Kapinus’ 100th career game
- Kapinus grabbed 10 rebounds and scored 11 points, recording season-highs in both categories
- The graduate student collects her first double-double at Vanderbilt and the 13th overall of her collegiate career
- Kapinus is the first Commodore to record a double-double off the bench since Pierre did so on Jan. 8, 2024, versus Auburn
- Mikayla Blakes posted 14 points and two steals in the win over Samford, as she is the first Commodore to begin her career scoring 14-plus points and collecting at least two steals in each of their first six games
- Aiyana Mitchell recorded a career-high 10 points
- Iyanna Moore contributed 11 points to record her fourth double-digit scoring performance of the season
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