Historic March Madness Opener – vucommodores.com

Mikayla Blakes sets the Vanderbilt single-season scoring record in a 102-61 win over High Point in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sophomore Mikayla Blakes set the Vanderbilt women’s basketball single-season scoring record on Saturday evening, as her 30-point performance at Memorial Gymnasium led the No. 2-seeded Commodores to a 102-61 victory over No. 15-seed High Point in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Blakes’ 30 points on Saturday night pushed her season total to 867, which breaks Wendy Scholten’s previous record of 855 points that stood for 36 seasons. Blakes’ 867 points in 2025-26 are the second-most scored by an SEC player in the NCAA era. The sophomore also broke into the top 10 on Vanderbilt’s all-time scoring list on Saturday, as she now sits in ninth with 1,636 career points.
The sophomore guard shot 68.8 percent from the floor, going 11-of-16, and dished out five assists in 29 minutes of action. It is Blakes’ 13th 30-point performance this season, while the Somerset, New Jersey, native has scored 30-plus points for the eighth time in the last 10 games. She is just the third Commodore to score 30-plus points in an NCAA Tournament game, as she joins Sheri Sam and Chantelle Anderson, who each accomplished the feat twice. Blakes is the first Vanderbilt women’s basketball player since Chantelle Anderson in the 2002 Elite Eight to register 30 points in a March Madness contest.
Vanderbilt had a pair of graduate students record a double-double on Saturday. Sacha Washington had 10 points to go along with 17 rebounds, while Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda had 10 points and 11 caroms. It is the first time that two Commodores have had a double-double in an NCAA Tournament game since March 22, 2004, when Hillary Hager (12 pts, 11 reb) and Carla Thomas (15 pts, 11 reb) accomplished the feat vs. Chattanooga in the second round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
Washington’s 17 rebounds vs. High Point tied the Vanderbilt record for most rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game. The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native matched Karen Booker’s 17 caroms against James Madison back on March 15, 1987.
A total of five Commodores scored double-digit points against High Point. Freshmen Aubrey Galvan and Ava Black joined Blakes, Mwenentanda and Washington in the double-figure scoring column. Galvan registered 17 points and a team-high six assists to go along with a team-best four steals, while Black tallied a career-high 12 points off the bench.
The 102 points scored by Vanderbilt set the school record for most points scored in an NCAA Tournament game. It is only the second time that Vandy has scored 100 points in a March Madness contest. The other occurrence took place on March 15, 1996, when the Dores posted a 100-83 victory over No. 14-seed Harvard in Lawrence, Kansas.
The 41-point win over High Point marked Vanderbilt’s largest margin of victory in an NCAA Tournament game since March 17, 1995, when the Commodores posted a 90-44 victory over No. 16 seed Northern Illinois.
The Commodores, who enter March Madness ranked No. 6 in both the Associated Press top 25 and the USA TODAY coaches poll, advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2012-13 season. It is Vandy’s second March Madness win under head coach Shea Ralph, as the Dores posted a 72-68 win over Columbia in a First Four contest during the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Head Coach Shea Ralph on the Win
“What an amazing environment. I just want to congratulate High Point on an amazing season. They play so hard. They’re so well coached and were a tough opponent. It’s amazing what they’ve done there. So just shout out to them, because I really enjoyed playing them today. They did a great job.
“And then for my team, it was a full team effort today. We talk about that. I feel like talking about that at nauseum this year, but that’s why we’ve gotten to this point. Because our team is a true team. We play with great chemistry, great energy. We had an amazing environment with our community, our family and friends today, which gave us extra energy. I really loved the full team effort, especially after a couple of weeks off. I’m looking forward to what Monday holds, but we’re going to celebrate this one today.”
Up Next
Vanderbilt will now face the winner between No. 7-seed Illinois and No. 10-seed Colorado on Monday at Memorial Gym. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and airs live on ESPN2.
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