Sound Basketball and a Quick Start Are the Keys Today
No. 5 Vanderbilt Looks to Return to Winning Ways
Today is an opportunity for the No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores women’s basketball team to get off the two game slide and get back to Vanderbilt basketball against the Florida Gators. How will they do it? Just play sound basketball and do what they are capable of. There is no secret or rocket science to it.
The Commodores must get back to taking care of the ball, and I would like to see them jump out on the Gators. I feel a quick start is important mentally today for Vandy to regain that edge and get past the results of the last two games.
Those first half turnovers they have resulted to must become minimal, and we all know what Mikayla Blakes brings, but after a slow start on Friday, I will be looking to see how Justine Pissott comes out today.
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Pissott leads the SEC with 65 made three pointers, while her 43.3 percent from beyond the arc is second best in the SEC. That also ranks ninth in all of NCAA Division I. On Friday, Pissott was 2-for-5 from three and those came in the fourth quarter during the Commodores’ run to tie the ballgame.
Paint domination is a major key to Vanderbilt’s success. When the Commodores own the paint with rebounding advantages and points, they normally roll. Look for Sacha Washington and Aiyana Mitchell to get back on track today. If Vanderbilt wants to be successful in the long run, those two must bring it in physicality and without getting in foul trouble.
Foul trouble can be in or out of a player’s control. It just depends on how the refs are feeling that day, but the bigs have to bring down the boards and eliminate Florida from second chances.
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Florida is led by Liv McGill with 22.6 points per game, followed by Me’Arah O’Neal with 13.7 points per game and Laila Reynolds with 12.8 points per game to round out the Gators’ double digit trio.
The Gators come in with a 13-10 record and have been through an extremely tough stretch, losing seven of eight games in the month of January. 2026 has not been kind, but that also means their backs are against the wall. The Dores cannot let them come into Memorial and sneak away with a game to help boost their confidence going into the final stretch of the regular season.
Today’s game will be televised on the SEC Network with tip-off set for 3 PM CT. Check back here afterwards for postgame recap and coverage from Memorial Gymnasium.
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