Top 25 Road Win – Vanderbilt Commodores

No. 7/8 Commodores collect an 84-83 come-from-behind win at No. 16 Kentucky on Thursday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball backcourt duo of sophomore Mikayla Blakes and freshman Aubrey Galvan led the No. 7/8-ranked Commodores to a thrilling 84-83 come-from-behind victory at No. 16/16 Kentucky on Thursday night in SEC action.
The pair of underclassmen scored a combined 38 points over the final two quarters of play at Memorial Coliseum to help No. 7/8 Vandy erase a nine-point deficit in the third quarter against the No. 16 Wildcats and score its third win over a top-25 team this season. Blakes was sensational over the final 20 minutes, as the guard scored 26 of her game-high 37 points in the second half. Galvan tallied 12 of her 16 points over the final two frames, which included going 4-for-4 at the free throw line in the closing seconds to allow Vanderbilt to keep the Wildcats at arm’s length.
With the win, Vanderbilt improves to 22-2 on the year and 8-2 in SEC games. The Commodores’ 22-2 start ties the 1992-93 Final Four team for the best start in school history through 24 games. It is also the first time Vandy has been 8-2 in SEC play since the 2008-09 season.
Blakes’ 37-point performance at Kentucky marks her second-straight game with 30-plus points, while it is the sixth time this season the All-American has registered 30 points in a contest. Her 37 points are tied for the 10th-most scored in a game by a Commodore, equaling the 37-point performance by Jackie Cowan vs. Cheyney State on Feb. 9, 1986.
The Somerset, New Jersey, native shot 52.0 percent from the floor, making 13-of-25 from the field and hitting a season-best six 3-pointers. Blakes went a perfect 5-of-5 from behind the arc in the second half to help her score 26 points over the final 20 minutes on Thursday.
Galvan collected 16 points and had a team-best seven assists in the come-from-behind victory. The freshman went 7-of-7 from the free throw line against the Wildcats. The point guard sank four-straight free throws over the final 19 seconds to keep the Commodore lead to three points.
Graduate Sacha Washington went a perfect 7-of-7 from the field en route to a 15-point performance. Senior Justine Pissott and junior Aga Makurat each had eight points and sank a pair of 3-point field goals in the win.
Vanderbilt fought its way back from a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter, as a 14-4 run by the Dores gave Vandy a 59-58 advantage at the 9:02 mark of the fourth. The Commodores extended their lead to 10 points at 72-62 with 6:15 left to play, but Kentucky made it a one-point game at 80-79 with 25 seconds remaining. Galvan’s clutch performance at the charity stripe allowed the Dores the room they needed to escape the Bluegrass State with an 84-83 win over the No. 16-ranked Wildcats.
The Commodores shot 13-of-15 from the free throw line and posted a 20-6 advantage in turnovers forced against Kentucky. Vandy held a 25-5 edge in points off turnovers in the one-point, come-from-behind victory.
Head Coach Shea Ralph on the Win
“I’m really proud of my team. We made it a little more interesting than we needed to down the stretch, but at the end of the day, it’s a road win in the SEC. Getting outrebounded the way we did, but also being able to capitalize on their turnovers, is the difference in the game. It was rebounding vs. turnovers. We had to do a better job at getting good shots because they were doing such a great job at defensive rebounding. I thought Sacha Washington was awesome in the lane. She went 7-for-7 and was poised. When we moved the ball, we got really good shots. We didn’t play great defense in the first half, but it got better. When we started to lock down defensively and get out in transition, that helped us.
“We have players on our team who have really bought into the vision, but they are part of it. They’re different players who’ve stepped up, and we’re continuing to add to that list of players in Ava Black and Aga Makurat. They each played huge minutes for us. Mikayla Blakes is special. She shines, and I just want everyone to appreciate it. The things she does that she makes look so easy are so hard to do. In the biggest moment, she shines.
“Lastly, my freshman point guard had four huge free throws at the end of the game. She had great ball security and really ran the team in the second half. That made all the difference. I’m really excited to get home with this group. We continue to get better every day.”
Up Next
The No. 7/8 Commodores return to Memorial Gymnasium on Monday, as the Commodores welcome in No. 11/11-ranked Oklahoma for another top-25 matchup. Tipoff against the Sooners is set for 8 p.m. CT and airs live nationwide on ESPN2.
Dore Notes
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