BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – In a standout performance on Wednesday, sophomore Mikayla Blakes achieved her first collegiate double-double, scoring a career-high 30 points while also grabbing 10 rebounds. This impressive effort helped propel the No. 17-ranked Vanderbilt women’s basketball team to a dominant 87-49 victory over Western Kentucky at E.A. Diddle Arena.
Blakes showcased her scoring ability with remarkable efficiency, shooting 61.1 percent from the field, hitting 11 of 18 attempts, and sinking a season-high five three-pointers. In addition to her scoring, she made a significant defensive impact, recording a personal-best six steals, five of which occurred in the first half.
With this victory, Vanderbilt improved its record to a perfect 4-0 for the season, marking a historic achievement as it marks the first time in the program’s history that the Commodores have opened four consecutive seasons with wins in their first four outings.
Blakes was not the only player to shine, as three of her teammates also reached double figures. Graduate Sacha Washington contributed with 13 points and seven rebounds, while senior Justine Pissott added 12 points, including four three-pointers. Graduate Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda completed the strong offensive performance with 11 points.
The Commodores began the game with a powerful 14-3 run and maintained control throughout. The only early lead for Western Kentucky came from an administrative technical foul against Vanderbilt, which allowed WKU to start with a 1-0 advantage before the tip-off. Although Western Kentucky managed to narrow the score to nine points in the second quarter, Vanderbilt responded with a 17-4 surge to expand their lead to 22 points, which they maintained comfortably for the remainder of the game.
Vanderbilt displayed strong shooting and rebounding, achieving a shooting percentage of 44.0 while limiting Western Kentucky to just 32.1 percent. The Commodores dominated the boards with a 48-32 rebounding advantage, translating to a 24-9 edge in second-chance points. Additionally, Vanderbilt’s defense forced 25 turnovers from Western Kentucky, which led to a significant 25-6 advantage in points off turnovers for the Commodores.
This win against Western Kentucky, along with their previous success at Austin Peay, marks the first time since the 2013-14 season that Vanderbilt has secured back-to-back true nonconference road victories.
Head Coach Shea Ralph praised her team’s performance, noting, “I was really proud of our team today. It was a complete team win, and we had a lot of contributions from a lot of people. With the week we have ahead of us, it’s good to kick it off with a win like this. I thought we were in sync, played hard, played together and had a great time.”
Looking ahead, Vanderbilt will host Alabama State for Education Day on Friday at Memorial Gymnasium, with the game scheduled to tip off at 11 a.m. CT. Fans can catch the excitement on SEC Network+.
The Commodores not only secured their place in team history with this win but also extended their winning streak against Western Kentucky to 11 games, a streak dating back to the 2005-06 season. With their current form, Vanderbilt is poised to continue shining in the early part of the season.