March Madness Begins at Memorial Gym – Vanderbilt Commodores

No. 2-seeded Vanderbilt takes on No. 15 High Point in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at 6 p.m. on ESPNews
No. 6/6 Vanderbilt (27-4, 13-3 SEC) vs. High Point (27-5, 13-3 Big South)
Saturday, March 21, 2026 • 6 p.m. CT
Memorial Gymnasium • Nashville, Tenn. • ESPNews
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Postseason Prospectus • Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 2-seed Vanderbilt women’s basketball team opens its run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Saturday at Memorial Gymnasium, as the Commodores take on No. 15-seed High Point. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and airs live on ESPNEWS.
Starting Five
>> Vandy enters the 2026 NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed and sports a 27-4 overall record and a 13-3 mark in SEC games. The Commodores are ranked No. 6 in both the Associated Press top 25 and the USA Today/WBCA coaches poll. Vandy’s 27 wins set a school record for most regular-season wins, while the 13 SEC wins also set a school record for the most conference wins in a season.
>> The Commodores are the No. 2 seed in the Fort Worth 1 Region. It is the first time since the 2006-07 season that Vanderbilt has been a top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament. It is the fourth time Vandy has been a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, as the Commodores are 5-3 in March Madness contests as a two seed.
>> The Dores are hosting NCAA Tournament games at Memorial Gym for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign. Vanderbilt is 14-2 all-time in NCAA Tournament games played on its home court.
>> Vanderbilt is making its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. It is the 12th-most March Madness appearances in NCAA history, while it is the fifth-most bids by an SEC team. It is the third-straight season Vandy has earned an at-large bid, which is the longest stretch for the program since earning 15-straight bids from 1999-2014.
>> It will be the second time that Vanderbilt and High Point have faced off on the hardwood, while it will be the school’s first March Madness meeting. The Commodores scored a 70-54 victory over the Panthers at Memorial Gym on Dec. 4, 2011.
Game Coverage
Saturday’s contest airs live across the country on ESPNEWS at 6 p.m. CT with Jay Alter and Kim Adams on the call. Fans can listen to Jake Lyman locally on 94.9 The Fan and the Vanderbilt Commodores app outside of Nashville.
National Rankings
The Commodores sit at No. 6 in both the Associated Press top 25 and the USA Today/WBCA Coaches poll this week. Vandy has been in the top 10 in both polls each of the last 11 weeks, which is the longest stretch since a 20-week streak between the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons. This season marks the first time since the 2001-02 campaign that the Dores have been ranked in the top 10 in both major college women’s basketball polls.
Blakes Closing in on Single-Season Scoring Record
Sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes is 19 points away from breaking Wendy Scholtens’ Vanderbilt single-season scoring record of 855 points. Blakes enters Saturday’s NCAA Tournament first round contest with 837 points scored this season, which is the second-most in a season in program history, and third-most by an SEC player in the NCAA era (post 1981-82).
Rolling in the National Awards
Both sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes and head coach Shea Ralph have been racking up the postseason awards.
Blakes has been named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, USBWA, USA Today, The Sporting News, ESPN and The Athletic. Blakes is on the Wooden Award National Ballot, while she is a Wade Trophy finalist and a Naismith Player of the Year Semifinalist.
Ralph has been named the National Coach of the Year from the USBWA, The Sporting News, ESPN and The Athletic. She is the second Vanderbilt women’s basketball head coach to earn National Coach of the Year honors, as she joins Jim Foster who earned the award in 1992-93.
Scouting the Panthers
High Point earned an automatic bid after winning the Big South Tournament, where they defeated Radford, 71-67, in the title game. The Panthers are 27-5 overall and 13-3 in Big South play. HPU holds a NET ranking of 142 coming into the NCAA Tournament.
Junior Macy Spencer (18.4 ppg) and senior Aaliyah Collins (15.2 ppg) average double-digit points for the Panthers. Senior Anna Hager leads the team in rebounding with 5.2 rebounds per game.
HPU averages 74.2 points per game and allows 58.9 points per game. The Panthers are shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and 33.1 percent from behind the arc. Defensively, High Point allows opponents to shoot 36.8 percent from the field and 28.1 percent beyond the 3-point line.
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