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Vanderbilt women’s basketball’s first matchup against Kentucky came down to the final possession, with the Commodores escaping Lexington with an 84-83 win over two weeks ago. The rematch at home wouldn’t prove any easier, as the Commodores gutted out another thriller with a hard-fought 81-79 victory over the Wildcats in Nashville.
With backdrop of senior day festivities, coach Shea Ralph tinkered with the starting lineup for the first time all season. Senior guard Jada Brown started over freshman Aubrey Galvan. Graduate senior Sacha Washington missed the game with an undisclosed medical issue, so junior Aiyanna Mitchell started in her place.
Maybe the emotions of the day got the best of the Commodores early. Kentucky shredded Vandy’s defense at the start, hitting their first four 3-point attempts of the game which helped them jump out to a 20-8 lead with just over four minutes left in the first quarter.
Vandy would find their bearings and come back to tie the game 24-24, but Kentucky responded with a 7-0 run and the Commodores played catch-up the rest of the half, trailing 46-44 at the break.
Star Mikayla Blakes scored the first points of the second half to tie the game to 46-46. After that, the remainder of regulation was a back-and-forth roller coaster. Any time one team seemed to be gaining momentum, the other team answered and neither team could seize control of the game. Kentucky went into the final quarter up 65-61 and it was clear Vandy would have to dig deep.
Vandy retook the lead 72-71 with just over six minutes left on a pair of Blakes free throws, but Kentucky’s Amelia Hasslett answered with a three pointer to retake the lead 74-72. After Mitchell tied the game on with a layup, Hasslett hit another three to go up 77-74.
Senior forward Justine Pissott struggled shooting in this game but hit a huge three with just over two minutes left to tie the game 77-77. Blakes split a pair of free throws to take the lead 78-77, but Kentucky’s Tonie Morgan hit a layup with 33 seconds left to retake the lead 79-78. On the Commodores’ next offensive possession freshman Aubrey Galvan, with ice in her veins, calmly hit an outside jumper to give Vandy the lead for good 80-79 with seven seconds left.
Kentucky still had one last chance to steal the game, but Pissott made a huge defensive play, forcing a steal on the Wildcats’ final offensive possession. Blakes split a pair of free throws – intentionally missing the second but airballing the shot — to give the Cats one last meaningless inbounds heave.
Vandy’s backcourt played like the stars they are, accounting for the bulk of scoring. Blakes finished with 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Galvan finished with 20 points – including the game-winning basket – along with 5 assists.
But the real heroes of the game might be Aiyanna Mitchell and freshman Ava Black. Mitchell stepped up in Washington’s absence with some key baskets finishing with 12 points and 9 rebounds and battled Kentucky’s talented post Clara Stack.
Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda did play briefly but spent the majority of the afternoon sitting on the bench with Washington. The graduate senior was inexplicably benched in the game after playing just 4 minutes in the first half. Mwenentanda started the first half, as she has all season, but did not start the second half or enter the game in the last 20 minutes. Ralph clarified after the game Mwenentanda was not injured, which leads to the assumption she was in the coach’s proverbial doghouse for whatever reason. Luckily Black filled in capably in her absence, playing a career high 28 minutes and finishing with 6 points and 9 rebounds.
The Commodores finished shooting 48% from the field, 29% from three, and 75% from the line. Kentucky finished at 47%, 33% from three, and 83% from the line. Vandy outrebounded the Cats 38-33.
Kentucky had a balanced effort with all five starters scoring double figures, led by Slack with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Forward Amelia Hasslett, who always seems to shoot well against Vandy, finished 5-12 from three for 15 points to go with her 8 rebounds.
With the win, the Commodores clinched an important double bye in the SEC tournament.
“I felt like it was a full team effort. We really needed everyone, especially with Sasha being out today” Ralph said after the game. “But I could tell the week leading up, and especially this morning at shootaround, that they were locked in, not only for her, but for the seniors.”
Vandy plays their final home game Thursday night against #25 Alabama.
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