Women’s Basketball: Three takeaways from Vanderbilt’s 76-74 upset loss to Georgia – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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No. 5 Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball (24-3, 10-3 SEC) suffered an upset loss to Georgia (20-6, 6-6 SEC) on the road Sunday afternoon, falling 76-74 in a game that came down to the wire. Coming off an impressive week after taking down two top 10 opponents, Texas and Oklahoma at home, and holding a four-game winning streak, the Commodores stood in the midst of a historic season — but the Bulldogs arrived with a chip on their shoulder, searching for a resume-building win. 
The Bulldogs came in with a clear defensive game plan: apply pressure to the nation’s leading scorer, Mikayla Blakes. Their strategy worked early as the Commodores, at one point, trailed by as much as 14 points in the first half. What followed was a back-and-forth battle where both teams traded buckets, with the Commodores clawing back into the ball game. The Commodores were just shy of a game-tying three-foot jumper as time expired. With hopes still high, the Commodores are looking to learn from the loss and continue to become better. 
With that said, here are three key takeaways from the tough road loss. 
Being the nation’s No. 1 scorer doesn’t go unnoticed. Coming off four consecutive 30-point games – two that were against top 10 matchups – the Bulldogs did their research and scouting against Blakes, devising a defensive game plan that focused almost solely on her from the opening tip. They denied her the ball for the entire first quarter, doubling her off the catch and creating traffic around her, forcing her to initiate the offense. This led Blakes to have no shot attempts in the first quarter. Instead, they forced her to find a different means of contribution, with her first shot attempt only coming at 8:38 into the second quarter. The Bulldogs didn’t just deny Blakes the ball; they disrupted her flow early. This made Blakes work for everything, and coupled with high levels of intensity, the Bulldogs were able to control the tempo of the first half. Their efforts clearly made a difference as the Commodores trailed 36-39 at halftime. 
The Commodores ability to play the same when they’re down 14, when the game is tied, or when they’re up, truly drives their offense. Through their great spacing, touch passing, and shot selection discipline, the team was able to record 19 team assists. Although they trailed in the first half, the Commodores combination of poise and ball movement was on full display in the second half, with only two turnovers. It also allowed them to erase their halftime deficit and take back the lead for the majority of the second half. Trusting both their teammates and the system they’re under, and playing connected basketball kept them alive in this game. While the ‘Dores came up short in today’s contest, we have seen this mentality bring them back and capture the win. If maintained, this level of mental toughness will take the Commodores far. 
 Georgia’s interior success down the stretch of the game, led by Mia Woolfolk, could not be reciprocated by the Commodores. The Bulldogs established their physicality inside the paint, finishing through contact in addition to their conversions on some tough shots beyond the arc — led by Dani Carnegies, who finished with 29-points. This interior presence provided offensive stability for the Bulldogs, preventing the ‘Dores from ever fully taking control of the game. The interior struggles were emphasized by Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph.  
“I think, for most of that game, we looked a little uncomfortable, you know. So I don’t know that we ever felt like we were in full control of the tempo of the game,” Ralph said. 
While the Commodores made some impressive big-time shots, their lack of interior consistency and inability to connect on some open looks severely hindered them. Without high-percentage finishing in the paint, the Commodores were forced to rely on their free throws and their perimeter shot-making ability to generate the much-needed momentum. In the end, their strong stretches of scoring efforts and defensive turn-up were not enough in the absence of this interior presence. 
Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball will have a week off before hosting No. 18 Kentucky in Memorial Gymnasium on Feb. 22 at 2 p.m.
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Namarachi • Feb 15, 2026 at 4:51 pm CST
Amazing recap of the game!

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