Women’s Basketball: Three Takeaways from Vanderbilt’s Victory Over Queens – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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Vanderbilt defeated Queens 100-42 for its second-straight win of the season. The story of the game was Vanderbilt’s 73 first half points, a program record for any half. The Commodores have scored at least 100 points in both of their first two contests and look to carry the momentum forward. The Hustler breaks down three key takeaways from Vanderbilt’s historic victory. 
Mikayla Blakes has been a star for Vanderbilt since she set foot in the Music City. In her career at Vanderbilt, she has scored at least 10 points in 67 games, an impressive 20 or more points in 50 games, and has even had a couple of 50-point games. She was the 2024-2025 SEC Freshman of the Year and the 2025-2026 SEC Player of the Year. Two games into her junior season, it looks like nothing has changed. She finished the game with 24 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in just 23 minutes played. As the best player on the court, her presence is felt by everyone and she continues to be in conversations for the top player in the country.  
Throughout her time at Vanderbilt, Mikayla Blakes has become a household name. However, as impressive as she is, it is time the world learned the rest of the names in Black and Gold. A team is only as good as its depth, and this team certainly does not lack strong bench play. All 12 players who took the court scored, and Blakes, Olivia Jones, Aubrey Galvan, Mia Woolfolk, and Aiyana Mitchell all reached double digits in scoring. Galvan and Woolfolk had strong games with 13 and 16 points, respectively. Galvan added six assists as well. Both players were cited as team leaders by rookie Olivia Jones after the game, and head coach Shea Ralph also acknowledged the chemistry between the two. The team combined for 25 assists, showcasing their natural chemistry and playing an extremely unselfish game. The dominance of the past two wins were undeniably a team effort, and these ‘Dores should not be written off as a one-woman show. 
As the final score suggests, the Commodores put on exceptional performances on both offense and defense. Vanderbilt had a 58.2% scoring percentage on offense while its defense limited Queens to a 25% scoring percentage. The Commodores successfully attacked the glass, combining for 39 rebounds across offense and defense. The historic first half was especially noteworthy, ending with an astounding score of 73-11 in favor of the Black and Gold. The Royals’ offense struggled to make it past the Commodore defense and had very low production. Jones, in particular, had 4 steals and 3 defensive rebounds in just 22 minutes played. Blakes similarly had 3 defensive rebounds and 3 steals before sitting much of the second half. The Commodores have shown dominance on both sides of the ball in both of their games so far, and they look to sustain their success going forward. 
Vanderbilt will host Morehead State Monday, Nov. 9, at 6:30 p.m CST in Memorial Gymnasium.  
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