Women’s Basketball: Previewing Vanderbilt vs. High Point in the Round of 64 – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball (27-4, 13-3 SEC) is officially dancing — it was selected as a No. 2 seed in the Fort Worth Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Commodores will face 15-seed High Point (27-5, 13-3 BSC) in the first round at home in Memorial Gymnasium March 21. The matchup will be the first time in 14 years that Memorial Gymnasium has hosted an NCAA Tournament game and the second time the two programs have met. The first came in 2011 where the Commodores walked away with the victory.  
This year marks High Point’s third NCAA appearance (others being 2020-21 and 2024-25). Its 15-seed is the highest seeding in program history, and the Panthers won the Big South Conference tournament and regular season title. The y will look to improve upon that historic season by earning their first Tournament win as a Division I program, and what better way to do it than to eliminate one of the nation’s best teams.  
The Commodores, despite a long tradition of excellence, have not matched their past postseason success in recent years. This tournament will mark Vanderbilt’s third straight appearance under head coach Shea Ralph. However, the ‘Dores will be out to prove something: that they can make it past the first round of the tournament.  
In each of the previous two years, Vanderbilt fell in the Round of 64. On the current roster, only graduate transfer Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda has played in a game past the first round — she was instrumental in Texas’ Final Four run last year. This is the highest tournament seeding the program has seen in years, on top of an already historic season. To lose in the first round would undoubtedly leave a sour taste in the mouth of the Commodores and their fans. 
Because neither team has much experience winning big postseason games, this matchup proves interesting. Could the underdog eliminate one of the nations premier programs in its own gym, or will the Commodores walk away with that elusive first round win that has been three years in the making? Only time will tell.  
This game, like most of those Vanderbilt plays in, will pit two talented guard groups against one another. 
The Panthers are led by a dynamic guard duo: junior Macy Spencer and graduate student Aaliyah Collins. Spencer leads their squad in scoring with 18.4 points per game and is sixth in the nation in 3-pointers made this season at 96. She shoots at a 39% clip from behind the arc. Collins leads in assists, steals and blocks, with 4.4, 2.5 and 0.8 per game, respectively. If the Panthers want to walk away with the win, they will need their guards to be great. Vanderbilt’s defense thrives on forcing guards into mistakes and turnovers that transition into fast-break buckets, and High Point’s backcourt will face the worst of it. If they are able to weather the storm, they will greatly increase their teams’ chances of winning. 
The Commodores have a dynamic guard duo of their own: Aubrey Galvan and Mikayla Blakes. Alone the two are impressive; Galvan is a frontrunner for National Freshman of the year honors after already being named the SEC Freshman of the Year. Blakes is a front runner for the coveted National Player of the Year and has already been named the SEC Player of the Year. Together, the two are putting up numbers that the program has not seen in a long time — and are undoubtedly one of best backcourts in the nation. Combined, they average 40.1 points, 10.3 assists and 5.5 steals per game. However, they are not invincible, as displayed by Vanderbilt’s first round exit in the SEC Tournament.  
If the ‘Dores are going to get past High Point, their guards will need to win their matchups and remain the dynamic, unstoppable force they’ve been all season. 
Realistically, the Commodores should have no trouble securing the victory. ESPN analytics give Vanderbilt a 98.8% chance of winning, and High Point resembles the type of team the Commodores would have played in the nonconference; a schedule Vanderbilt blew through without much struggle.  
But, that doesn’t mean Vanderbilt cannot learn from this game. The Commodores will be able to settle into the NCAA Tournament environment — increased media, different equipment, more regulations, potentially bigger crowds and the mental aspect that comes along with March basketball — from the comfort of their own home.  
Beyond that, this game presents several key opportunities. Firstly, it gives Commodores the chance to gain confidence after their tough loss to Ole Miss in the SEC tournament. Second, it allows bench players such as Ava Black, Aga Makurat, Jada Brown, Aalyah Del Rosario and Trinity Wilson — who don’t always see consistent playing time — to settle back into game play with a potential good chunk of minutes depending on the score differential. They will be needed in later rounds. Finally, it provides Ralph an opportunity to fine-tune rotations, reinforce her team’s identity and get her group locked in before the stakes inevitably rise. 
Vanderbilt will begin its quest for a national championship title March 21 at 6 p.m. CDT. This game will stream on ESPNEWS.  
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