Vanderbilt Defeats No. 5 LSU, Remains Undefeated
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The Vanderbilt women’s basketball program hosted a large contingent of former players, including several members of the 92-93 Final Four quad, who were recognized at halftime of the LSU game Sunday. They were treated to a thrilling finish as the Commodores rallied late to beat the #5 ranked Tigers 65-61, snapping a 9-game losing streak to LSU.
It was arguably the biggest win of coach Shea Ralph’s tenure in her time as Vanderbilt coach – her first over a top 10 opponent, and the program’s first win over a top 5 team since beating Auburn in 2009. The win also keeps the team undefeated at 15-0 and legitimizes Vandy as a program that can make some noise in the SEC.
Through most of the game, it didn’t appear this would be the case. LSU flat out looked like the better team for most of the contest. A layup by guard ZaKiya Johnson gave the Tigers a 49-42 lead with 6:44 to go in the game before the Commodores came to life. A quick 8-0 run, sparked by threes from Jada Brown and Mikayla Blakes, gave Vandy its first lead of the second half 50-49.
The teams traded the lead down the stretch, with Blakes completely taking over in the closing minutes, scoring 12 of Vandy’s final 15 points to secure the victory.
It was not a game of beauty offensively for the Commodores. Blakes scored the first 11 points for Vandy, as LSU jumped out to a 12-11 lead. But like the rest of the team, she struggled shooting for much of the game until her 4th quarter outburst. No Commodore could gain any offensive traction under the Tigers’ smother defense. Vandy scored just 7 points in the second quarter, going into halftime behind28-22.
Blakes played the entire and game finished with 32 points and 4 assists. She shot just10-25, but delivered when it counted.
Her teammate in the backcourt, Aubrey Galven, looked like a freshman through the first half going scoreless with no assists. Fortunately, she got better as the game went on, hitting four big three-pointers to complement Blakes’ heroics.
Galvan was the only other Commodore in double figures, finishing with 14 points on just 4-16 shooting.
Vandy won despite shooting 35% from the field, 58% on free throws, and getting outrebounded by the Tigers 48-28. The Commodores defense did force LSU into 22 turnovers and held leading scorer Flau-jae Johnson without a point.
The crowd of 6576 was also electric, helping push the Commodores to the finish line – something Ralph was sure to note after the game:
““First, I want to thank the fans and everyone for being here today. I love playing in a gym that loud, and it made a huge difference today for us. Thank you to Commodore Nation.”
Vandy will look to carry the momentum from this signature win into their next game – a Thursday night home matchup against Missouri at 6:30.
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