Vanderbilt WBB Wins SEC Opener: The Anchor
In this story:
Vanderbilt women’s basketball got its conference slate started off right on New Year’s Day as the Commodores went into Arkansas and beat the Razorbacks 88-71 to start 1-0 in SEC play.
The story of the game was Vanderbilt star point guard Mikayla Blakes. Blakes tied her season-high in scoring with 35 points and extended her double digit scoring streak to 33 consecutive games. Blakes shot 50 percent from the floor as she also had eight assists and three steals. Freshman Aubrey Galvan put up 14 points and recorded six assists while Sacha Washington made her presence felt in the paint with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
“I thought Mikayla Blakes was Mikayla Blake. You can see her excitement to start this SEC season, to play an opponent in our conference, and you know, we have a tough slate coming up. I mean, every game is a tough game, so I think there are lots of things we can clean up,” Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph said.
It was not the prettiest start in the game as Arkansas jumped out to a 11-5 lead in the early minutes, but turned things around with a 15-1 run that helped Vanderbilt ultimately grab a 28-17 lead in the early stages of the second quarter.
From then on, Vanderbilt had control over the game as it went into halftime up 16 points before extending it in the second half. Vanderbilt shot 45.8 percent from the floor and 35 percent from three-point range. Vanderbilt held the rebound advantage as well, outrebounding Arkansas 37-31.
“I think any win on the road in the SEC is a great win, and I was really proud of how we started the game. I thought we had some dips in the second half. You can see by the stats that I wasn’t happy with that, but for the most part, I thought we had some really strong contributions,” Ralph said. “I thought there were moments in the second half where I kept pushing my team to step up, but that happened. So there are obviously things that we were going to take away and learn from it, but I like learning when you win. I’m so proud of my team.”
Today's Commodores Schedule
Vanderbilt swimming at San Diego State, 12 p.m. CT.
New Year's Commodores Results Today
No. 14 Vanderbilt football lost to No. 23 Iowa 34-27 in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
No. 12 Vanderbilt women’s basketball beat Arkansas 88-71.
Did You Notice?
Vanderbilt offensive lineman Cade McConnell announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he is returning to Vanderbilt for the 2026 football season. McConnell was key piece of Vanderbilt’s offensive line all fall as the Commodores were one of the best offensive fronts in the country.
Countdown to Vanderbilt’s 2026 Baseball Season Opener
47 days
Commodores Quote of The Day
“Our goal is to always advance society,” he said. “The way you do that is to push yourself into those positions to actually do it. You have to be a part of it. For me, one of my favorite quotes from Malcolm X is that you can always chase a dream, but it will never count if you never catch it. I want to catch all my dreams.”Earl Bennett
Check Us Out On:
Vanderbilt Commodores On SI:
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.