Vanderbilt WBB Beats South Florida: The Anchor
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Vanderbilt women’s basketball had a strong showing after 12 days of rest. The Commodores beat down South Florida 87-58 Monday night.
It was a night where everyone was contributing meaningfully. All five Vanderbilt starters scored in double digits. Guard Mikayla Blakes led the team with 19 points on 7-for-19 shooting and six rebounds. Forward Sacha Washington was not too far behind Blakes, finishing with 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting with six rebounds and two assists.
It was a slow start for Vanderbilt, however. In the first quarter, the Commodores only managed to build a 11-7 lead in the first 10 minutes. But in the second quarter, Vanderbilt started to get settled into the game as it outscored the Bulls by nine points and went into halftime up a comfortable 13 points.
It was ultimately a 10-2 run from Vanderbilt to start the second half that really buried South Florida. The Commodores stretched their lead to 21 points and did not look back the rest of the night.
In the final quarter, Vanderbilt extended its lead by nine more points as it outscored South Florida 25-16 in the closing minutes.
In total, Vanderbilt shot 42 percent from the floor. The Commodores hit 12 of their 37 three-point attempts, doubling South Florida in made threes. Vanderbilt ended up winning the rebound battle 41-31. Defensively, Vanderbilt forced 20 turnovers and turned those takeaways into 28 points. The Commodores outscored the Bulls 28-9 in points off turnovers, highlighting the impact they were able to make off South Florida’s mistakes.
Up next, Vanderbilt will return to its home court Thursday night for a game against UAlbany. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
Today's Commodores Schedule
There are no games scheduled today.
Yesterday's Commodores Results Today
No. 13 Vanderbilt women’s basketball beat South Florida 87-58.
Did You Notice?
The odds continue to move in Vanderbilt’s favor as it prepares for the ReliaQuest Bowl against Iowa. Vanderbilt opened as 3.5-point favorites, but have since been lifted up to 5.5-points favorites for New Year’s Eve’s game in Tampa Bay.
Vanderbilt and Iowa are scheduled to kickoff at 11 a.m. CT on Dec. 31.
Countdown to Vanderbilt’s 2026 Baseball Season Opener
63 days
Commodores Quote of The Day
"He's a young man who can score off the dribble or standing still. He also can make difficult shots. You look at some of his shots and say, 'I don't know,' but then he makes them."Eddie Fogler on Billy McCaffrey
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Graham Baakko is a writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as a sportswriting intern for GamecockCentral.