Women’s Basketball: Three takeaways from Vanderbilt’s 81-79 senior-day win over Kentucky – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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No. 5 Vanderbilt women’s basketball (25-3, 11-3 SEC) protected home court Sunday, holding off No. 16 Kentucky 81-79 in a senior-day thriller. In the second game vs. Kentucky this season that came down to the wire, the Commodores yet again found just enough separation late to survive. 
The stat sheet told the story of a tightly contested battle. Kentucky and Vanderbilt were nearly even across the board — from field goal percentage to three-point shooting — with Vanderbilt holding only slight advantages in rebounds (38-33) and free throws made (12-9). It was back-and-forth throughout, with neither team able to create much breathing room. 
Before tipoff, Vanderbilt honored seniors Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, Sacha Washington, Justine Pissott and Jada Brown. Head coach Shea Ralph rolled out a senior-day starting lineup — Mikayla Blakes, Pissott, Brown, Mwenentanda and Aiyana Mitchell — the first deviation from the regular starters this season. Washington was listed as a game-time decision on the injury report and did not play, so Mitchell took her place for her first start of the season.  
In the closing moments, Vanderbilt delivered the decisive plays. Aubrey Galvan knocked down a clutch mid-range jumper, and Pissott came up with a steal on Kentucky’s final possession to seal the two-point win.  
With the victory, Vanderbilt clinched a double bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament. The Commodores improved to 24-3 overall — the second-best record through 27 games in program history — trailing only the 1992-93 Final Four squad that opened 25-2. Vanderbilt now sits at 10-3 in SEC play, tied for second place with Texas, and is one win shy of matching the program record of 11 conference victories set in 2007-08. Here are the key takeaways from the Commodores’ win. 
Despite Washington’s absence, the Commodores still protected the paint and avoided getting severely outrebounded. Vanderbilt actually finished plus-five on the glass and secured three more offensive rebounds than Kentucky. Mitchell led the effort with 9 rebounds and added 12 points, including 4 offensive boards that created valuable extra possessions in a game where every trip mattered. 
Aalyah Del Rosario and Trinity Wilson also provided productive minutes off the bench in the paint, setting solid screens and bringing physicality. Wilson added an assist and a steal in her five minutes of action. Freshman guard Ava Black made a significant impact as well, grabbing nine rebounds while playing a season-high 28 minutes. Kentucky star center Clara Strack still produced with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks, but Vanderbilt contained her when it mattered most. 
According to head coach Shea Ralph in the postgame press conference, Washington is considered “day-to-day,” and no specific reason was given for her absence. 
The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead, with hot shooting from Amelia Hassett, Asia Boone and Kaelyn Carroll. Early on, the Commodores struggled to rotate along the 3-point line and close out on shooters, leaving Hassett and Boone wide open. With so many shooters around a talented post like Clara Strack, doubling her was not an option, and Kentucky’s ball movement punished every defensive misstep. Midrange shots were also open when Del Rosario and Wilson played in drop coverage, giving Kentucky even more space to operate 
As the game went on, Vanderbilt’s defense started to click. When the Commodores settled on the lineup of Galvan, Blakes, Black, Pissott and Mitchell, they rotated more consistently, contested more shots and limited the wide-open looks from deep. Kentucky cooled off from 50% from three in the first quarter to 25% in the second on 20 first-half attempts, while Vanderbilt improved from 33% to 44% on 16 attempts. By staying disciplined and adjusting to Kentucky’s movement, the Commodores forced the Wildcats into tougher shots down the stretch. 
“[Kentucky] is very disciplined and very well coached. They’re tough, and they play with confidence. I like playing against them because you know they’re going to challenge you,” Ralph said. “But I really loved the way we responded today — the resiliency of our team, especially without Sacha, and the way we defended down the stretch was huge.” 
At this point, Blakes playing at this level almost feels routine. It shouldn’t. Performances like this demand attention because what the sophomore guard is doing is historic. 
Blakes leads the nation in scoring at 26.3 points per game and is averaging 29.9 in SEC play through 14 league contests. She entered Sunday with 30 points in five of her last sixgames and has now reached the 30-point mark 10 times this season — the first SEC player this century to do so 
The 5-foot-8 guard has now had four straight 30-point games against ranked opponents. She is the only Division I player this century to record four consecutive 30-point performances versus ranked teams — recent WNBA No. 1 picks Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers had three.  
Freshman point guard Galvan is building a highlight reel of her own. Beyond her clutch mid-range jumper that sealed the win, Galvan beat the third-quarter buzzer to swing momentum toward Vanderbilt entering the final period. 
Galvan finished with 20 points and five assists in 36 minutes, continuing to impress in her role as the Commodores’ floor general. The 5-foot-6 freshman plays with fearless creativity — acrobatic finishes, tight ball-handling and no-look passes — yet committed just one turnover this game. For a risk-taking first-year point guard, that level of control is notable and a major reason Vanderbilt’s offense continues to run smoothly.  
Hey, @SportsCenter we have a clip for your top-10 😏
Her name is Aubrey Galvan and SHE’S A FRESHMAN pic.twitter.com/yhmNrwTprf
— Vanderbilt WBB (@VandyWBB) February 22, 2026

Simply put, the consistent excellence from Blakes and Galvan is becoming expected, but it should never be taken for granted. Blakes is tracking toward the SEC scoring record, and both are putting themselves in contention for national awards. These moments must be celebrated because history is being made every time they step on the court.  
Vanderbilt will next face Alabama in Memorial Gymnasium Thursday, Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. CST.   
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