Top-20 Sunday Matinee – Vanderbilt Commodores

No. 5/6 Vanderbilt welcomes in No. 16/18 Kentucky this Sunday for a 3 p.m. contest on ESPN2
No. 5/6 Vanderbilt (24-3, 10-3 SEC) vs. No. 16/18 Kentucky (20-7, 7-6 SEC)
Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 • 3 p.m. CT
Memorial Gymnasium • Nashville, Tenn. • ESPN2 • Tickets
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics App • Live Stats • Game Program • Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 5/6-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team hosts its third-straight top-20 matchup at Memorial Gymnasium on Sunday, as the Commodores welcome in No. 16/18 Kentucky. Tipoff from the Music City is set for 3 p.m. and airs live nationwide on ESPN2.
Starting Five
>> The Dores look to get back into the win column on Sunday after dropping a 76-74 decision at Georgia on Feb. 15. Vanderbilt got a pair of 20-point performances from the Garden State duo of sophomore Mikayla Blakes and senior Justine Pissott. Blakes registered 27 points and six assists against the Lady Bulldogs, while Pissott scored 23 points and hit five 3-pointers.
>> The Commodores hold an overall record of 24-3, which is the second-best record through 27 games in school history. Only the 1992-93 Final Four team has opened a season with a better record, as that squad stood at 25-2 through 27 contests.
>> Vandy is 10-3 in SEC play and currently tied for second place in the league standings with Texas. The Dores are one win shy of tying the school record for most SEC victories in a season of 11, which was set in 2007-08.
>> Vanderbilt has won 14-straight home games this season, which marks the school record for longest home winning streak in a single season. Overall, the Commodores have won 15-consecutive games at Memorial Gym dating back to 2024-25, which is the second-longest home winning streak in total since 1999-00.
>> The Dores and Wildcats meet for the 63rd time. Vanderbilt leads the series 34-28, which dates back to the 1981-82 season. The two SEC schools will meet for the second time in 17 days, as Vandy scored an 84-83 victory at Kentucky back on Feb. 5. The Commodores are 18-9 against UK at Memorial Gymnasium, though the Wildcats won the last game played in Nashville, 96-78, on Jan. 5, 2025. Vanderbilt is 4-2 vs. Kentucky under head coach Shea Ralph.
Game Coverage
Sunday’s contest airs live across the country on ESPN2 at 3 p.m. CT with Sam Gore and Brooke Weisbrod 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. 5 in the Associated Press top 25 and No. 6 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches poll this week. Vandy has been in the top 10 in both polls each of the last seven 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.
NET Ranking
Vanderbilt holds a NET ranking of seven heading into the weekend. Vandy has collected six Quad 1 wins, four Quad 2 victories and six Quad 3 wins through the first 25 games this season.
The Dores opened the season at No. 12 in the first NET rankings of the 2025-26 season. The NET is an evaluation tool used by the NCAA Selection Committee to determine seeding and bids.
Taking Care of Business at Home
The Commodores are 60-21 at home under head coach Shea Ralph, and 38-9 at home since the start of the 2023-24 season. The Commodores have won 15-straight home games in a streak that dates back to the 2024-25 season. Vandy has won its first 14 home games of the 2025-26 campaign, which is the longest home winning streak in a single season in school history.
Tough Stretch
Sunday’s contest marks the sixth time in the last eight games that Vanderbilt will take on a top-25 team. The Commodores are set to face a ranked team in each of their final three games of the 2025-26 season. Vandy is 5-2 in top-25 games this season, with three victories over top 10 teams. The five wins over ranked teams this season are the most for the Dores since the 2013-14 campaign.
Nation’s Best Scorer
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes leads the nation in scoring at 26.3 points per game. In SEC play, Blakes is putting up 29.5 points per game through 13 league games. She comes into Sunday having scored 30 points in four of her last five games. Blakes is the first SEC player to accomplish the feat this century.
The 5-8 guard scored a season-high 38 points at Mississippi State on Jan. 15. Blakes has scored 30-plus points in a contest nine times, which are the most 30-point performances in the country this season.
30-for-30-for-30
Mikayla Blakes has had three-straight 30-point performances against ranked teams coming into Sunday. The Vanderbilt guard is only one of three NCAA Division I players this century to have three-straight 30-point games against ranked teams, joining Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.
Scouting the Wildcats
Kentucky holds a 20-7 overall record and a 7-6 mark in the SEC play. The Wildcats came in at No. 16 in the AP top 25 and No. 18 in the USA Today/WBCA coaches poll, while UK is ranked No. 16 in the NET ranking. Kentucky has won back-to-back games coming into Sunday, with home victories over Texas A&M (75-55) and No. 14/16 Ole Miss (74-57). The Wildcats are in Year 2 under head coach Kenny Brooks, who is 43-15 during his time in Lexington.
Junior Clara Strack (16.5 ppg) leads a pack of five Wildcats who average double-digit points this season. Seniors Tonie Morgan (14.4 ppg), Teonni Key (11.3 ppg), Jordan Obi (10.9 ppg), and Amelia Hassett (10.1 ppg) round out the group.
The Wildcats average 76.4 points per game and allow 58.5 points per game. Kentucky is shooting 44.5 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from behind the arc. Defensively, UK allows opponents to shoot 35.8 percent from the field and 28.5 percent beyond the 3-point line.
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