Mikayla Blakes Scores 37, Aubrey Galvan Hits Clutch Free Throws as Vanderbilt Edges Kentucky 84-83 on Road
Blakes and the Dores Tough it out on the Road
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Vanderbilt Commodores’ mental toughness had been questioned over the past two weeks. Tonight, they answered for the second game in a row.
The No. 7 Commodores withstood the challenge on the road and pulled out an 84-83 win over the No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats in a game that came down to the final seconds.
“I think it just taught fortitude, like courage to do it the right way in the face of adversity,” head coach Shea Ralph said after the game. “Because you know it’s coming. Every team in the SEC is a really good basketball team. Most of them are ranked. Everyone we have left is ranked. They’re good teams. There’s gonna be adversity. We have to stay steadfast in who we are and have fortitude to be courageous in the moments that it takes to win those games, because every moment is important.”
After a first quarter that saw some better offensive movement from the Dores and a 19-16 lead, it was telling how the game was setting up. Kentucky came out with a plan and their ability to own the boards, work the paint, and find outside comfortable shots put the pressure on Vanderbilt.
Mikayla Blakes found the double digit column with 11 in the first half, with 6:10 to go to put the Dores up 29-22. After Hassett and Pissott traded threes, Vanderbilt found themselves up 32-25, but that didn’t last long.
The momentum swung back Kentucky’s way with some good offensive possessions by the Wildcats. Kentucky went on a 13-2 run to take a 38-34 lead into the half, behind a couple of late threes from Asia Boone and good attacks on the paint.
Vanderbilt came out of the half and opened with a 7-0 run to take a 41-38 lead before back-to-back shots by Teonni Key to put her up to 12 points. Going into the media timeout with 4:46 left in the third, the Wildcats held a 47-43 lead. Vanderbilt was just getting beat to the point of attack and up the floor. The Wildcats would extend their lead to 54-45 with 2:43 to go in the third, but a Commodores run would cut it to a 58-54 deficit heading to the fourth.
Kentucky’s Teonni Key, Amelia Hassett, and Asia Boone were huge for Kentucky inside and out. Key just kept coming and would finish the night with 27 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 11-for-15 from the field.
“I love her length, and it seems like, I felt like there was three of her on the floor at times,” Ralph said of Key. “It felt like she was all over the place.”
Hassett and Boone were money from beyond the arc with nine made threes between the two of them. Then, you can’t forget Clara Strack. She added 14 points with 15 rebounds, and even through all of that, Vanderbilt kept going to work.
Toughness was measured and tonight, the Dores passed the test. Vanderbilt would buckle down and open up the quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 61-58 lead. Blakes and Washington were leading the way with 23 and 13 points respectively at that point.
Getting those touches inside and out were going in the Commodores favor and the defensive intensity was heating up. Two Kentucky turnovers early in the fourth helped the Dores.
A big turning point came with 8:20 left. Aubrey Galvan drove and converted an and-one off a Tonie Morgan foul. That was her fourth and sent her to the bench. Vanderbilt was able to take a 64-59 lead, and with Morgan on the bench they went on a run. Mikayla Blakes went into her mode, extending the lead to 72-62 with 6:12 to go and putting her up to 31 points.
Kentucky would strike back with an 8-0 run of their own to cut it to two with 3:35 to go, but the Commodores were able to come right back with punches of their own and did what it took to leave Lexington with a win.
Mikayla Blakes is special and you all should know that by now.
“I think she’s the best player in the country,” Ralph said. “The moments when we need her to do whatever it is that we need her to do, defensively, offensively, in the huddle, in the locker room, that kid shows up every moment.”
Blakes finished the night with 37 points, four assists, four steals, two rebounds, and was a blazing hot 4-for-4 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter to finish 6-for-9 for the game. When Mikayla does what she does, it is no longer surprising. That is just who she is. When the game is on the line, she puts the team on her back. 19 of her 37 points were scored in the fourth quarter. That is a leader that knows it is her job to will the team to a win.
Ralph went further, emphasizing just how special Blakes’ play really is.
“The things that she does that she makes look easy are so hard to do. And in the biggest moment, that kid shines,” Ralph said. “Look at what that kid has done for our program and tell me that there’s a more meaningful player in the country to their team. Tell me there’s not. She’s changed everything, and she does it with a smile on her face.”
However, the freshman Aubrey Galvan really came up big late. Galvan finished the night with 16 points, but five of those were super important free throw conversions in the fourth quarter, with four coming in a seven second time frame with less than 20 seconds to go.
With the game hanging in the balance, Key pulled Kentucky within one, 80-79, with a layup. Galvan was then fouled and sent to the line where she hit two to make it 82-79. After a Tonie Morgan bucket to get Kentucky within one with 13 seconds left, Galvan was fouled by Boone for her fifth foul. Galvan was able to drain another two free throws to make it 84-81. Key would get a last second score, but it was too late. Vanderbilt pulled off the win, 84-83.
“Four huge free throws at the end of the game, great ball security, really ran the team in the second half, and that also made all the difference,” Ralph said of her freshman point guard.
When asked about Galvan’s composure in such a high pressure moment, Ralph praised her mentality.
“She’s unbothered. She really is. Half the time I’m not sure if she’s listening, but she’s a baller,” Ralph said with a smile. “Like, she’s going to go out there and be like, ‘Yeah, if there’s something to be done, I’m gonna get it done. And I know where the ball needs to go. If there’s a stop that needs to be made, you need free throws made, Coach, I got you.'”
This team tonight looked more like Vanderbilt. They took care of the ball and finished the night with just six turnovers. That is something they have been struggling with over the last couple of weeks, and was huge to help come out on top.
“We can’t turn the ball over and think that we’re gonna win, right?” Ralph said. “Today was a big step forward just in our confidence in being able to have ball security and get up good shots when we need.”
Bench play for the Dores only saw eight points tonight, but those eight were from Aga Makurat, who has been working hard and showing Ralph and her staff what they need to see to trust her in these games. This is the second game in a row that she has put in quality time, and she will continue to build that confidence going forward.
“She’s gonna be somebody that’s really important for us down the stretch, and she’s an important part of what we’re doing,” Ralph said of Makurat. “She is a very high IQ basketball player, an elite shooter.”
Ralph was transparent about what she needs from her taller guards to earn playing time.
“We have guards that are 6’2″, 6’3″, 6’4″, they’ve gotta rebound and defend. And I love that we can make shots. I love that you can score. But I need you to rebound and defend,” Ralph said. “The kids that I can trust to do those things in the moments that we need ’em done are the kids that you’re gonna see on the floor. Aga continues to get better at it in practice, which is why you’re seeing her play a lot of big minutes for us now.”
The Commodores now will go into next week and host the Oklahoma Sooners on Monday night. That is another opportunity for the Dores against a high quality ranked opponent.
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