Latest news with #AnchorDown
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes drops 53 points to break JuJu Watkins' NCAA freshman scoring record
In at least two sections of the record book, Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes stands alone. The freshman guard broke both the NCAA single-game scoring record for freshmen and the SEC single-game scoring record regardless of class on Thursday, posting 53 points in the No. 23 Commodores' 99-86. road win over Florida. In the case of the freshman record, Blakes surpassed an 11-month-old record held by USC star JuJu Watkins. She shot 16-of-24 from the field, 5-of-9 from 3-point range and 16-of-18 from the free throw line, along with three rebounds, two assists and three steals. One of those shots was of the circus variety. Mikayla Blakes is cooking up some magic in Gainesville 🪄#AnchorDown — no. 23 Vanderbilt WBB (@VandyWBB) January 31, 2025 Vanderbilt naturally had to go with the Wilt Chamberlain celebration after the game: — no. 23 Vanderbilt WBB (@VandyWBB) January 31, 2025 The performance also broke the Vanderbilt the scoring record, which was set when her teammate Khamil Pierre scored 42 on Dec. 16. Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph, a former UConn assistant, had high praise after the game, via the Nashville Tennesseean: "Mikayla had one of the most incredible performances that I've ever seen as a coach," Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said. "And I've coached a lot of really good players for a long time, and that's not taking anything away from them. I think you see a player like her do what she did tonight. Sometimes she makes things that are really, really hard to do look really easy." Blakes' record-setting game was the 22nd of her college career, which she began at Vanderbilt after being ranked by ESPN as the No. 8 recruit in the country. She has so far lived up the hype. She entered Thursday averaging 21.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game for Vanderbilt, which holds a 17-4 record after going 23-10 last season and 12-19 the year before.
New York Times
31-01-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes breaks NCAA freshman scoring record with 53 points vs. Florida
A storybook freshman season keeps getting better for Vanderbilt basketball star Mikayla Blakes. A week after hitting a game-winning put-back against Tennessee, Blakes had a night that will live on even longer: She scored 53 points in the Commodores' 99-86 win over Florida on Thursday in Gainesville, setting an NCAA single-game record for a freshman. The total is also the highest single-game mark for any player in SEC history. Blakes has been one of the most prolific scorers in the country in her first season with the Commodores. The No. 8 recruit in the Class of 2024 was averaging 21 points per game entering Thursday's contest, placing her 15th nationally, per Her Hoop Stats. 𝙈𝙞𝙠𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙖 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 The NCAA has a new freshman scoring record holder 😏#AnchorDown — no. 23 Vanderbilt WBB (@VandyWBB) January 31, 2025 It's hard to believe the 19-year-old freshman only started playing basketball at age 12. But as her brother, Stanford guard Jaylen Blakes, says, basketball was made for Mikayla. The Gators had no answers for Blakes' attacks on the rim, as she made 11 of 12 layups and earned 18 free-throw attempts. She also hit 5 of 9 3-pointers as Vanderbilt built an early lead and never looked back. Advertisement 'When it comes time to win, Mikayla Blakes is going to do what it takes to win, and today it took 53 points and all of the other things she did, commanding the ball at the right moments through a super-physical game,' coach Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said postgame on Learfield radio. 'I was very impressed with her poise and her composure. She is certainly the best freshman in the country, I would say, and there are a lot of good ones.' GO DEEPER The buzzer-beating Blakes siblings: Jaylen and Mikayla hit game-winners on same weekend The Commodores are recapturing their past glory with Blakes at the forefront. A year after making their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade, Vanderbilt reached the top 25 of the AP poll this week for the first time since 2014. The Commodores are currently sixth in the SEC standings, on pace for a first-round bye in the conference tournament and potentially in position to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament if they continue to rack up wins. Blakes is in an increasingly competitive race for freshman of the year. Sarah Strong and Joyce Edwards both play for national powerhouses (UConn and South Carolina, respectively), but neither big has the individual responsibility Blakes shoulders at Vanderbilt. She is the team's leading scorer and is also second in assists and steals. 'One of the things that I always talked to my kids about is, 'You have to compete every time you step on the court',' Blakes' dad Monroe told The Athletic. 'And so some days shots may or may not go in but you have to compete at a high level because that goes everywhere and I think that's what transfers over.' Blakes has now scored in double figures in every conference game, with Ole Miss — the fifth-best scoring defense in the country — up next on the docket. The way her freshman season has gone, it'll take a lot more than that to slow Blakes down.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vanderbilt fans storm court after upset of No. 9 Kentucky, hit with $500K fine for third offense
Upsets are becoming expensive business for Vanderbilt. The school was hit with a $500,000 fine from the SEC on Sunday after its fans stormed the court following a 74-69 upset win over No. 9 Kentucky on Saturday night. The size of the fine is increased because it is the Vanderbilt athletic department's third offense of the school year. Students had little trouble getting past security as they congregated on the floor. Vanderbilt fans storming the court after beating No. 9 ranked Kentucky 74-69 — Vandy Hustler Sports (@vuhustlersports) January 25, 2025 Vanderbilt incurred its first penalty when it was fined $100,000 in October after the football team defeated then-No. 1 Alabama. Fans stormed the field in response to the win, tearing down a goal post and walking it two miles to dump it into the Cumberland River. Vanderbilt later set up an auction, selling off pieces of the goal post to help raise money to cover the fine. The second penalty came just last week, when the fans stormed the court after beating in-state rival No. 6 Tennessee 76-75. The cost that time: $250,000. The SEC's storming fines, which were raised in 2023, dictate that a first offense will cost $100,000, a second offense $250,000 and a third and subsequent offenses $500,000. Fines for field- or court-storming are paid out to the opposing team's school, so Kentucky should soon have a check for a half-million dollars coming its way. One person who was very aware of these potential costs was Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Lee, who was seen on the court pleading with the students to not rush the court as the game ended. Vanderbilt athletic director Candace Lee is in the student section asking students to not rush the court. 'Let us use the money for NIL to make a great team next year' — Grace Hall (@Grace_M_Hall) January 25, 2025 This is Candice Lee trying to convince the student section to not rush the court with 24 seconds remaining in the game… The students love her and you have to appreciate the effort but you knew it was going to happen regardless 🤣 #AnchorDown — Kate Pettersen (@KatePettersen_) January 26, 2025 With the school now facing a bill of $850,000 fines, Vanderbilt might not even be done adding to its total. The Commodores host No. 1 Auburn for a game on Feb. 11, in which it will be quite incentivized to beef up security as much as possible.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vanderbilt fans storm court after upset of No. 9 Kentucky, hit with $500K fine for third offense
Upsets are becoming expensive business for Vanderbilt. The school was hit with a $500,000 fine from the SEC on Sunday after its fans stormed the court following a 74-69 upset win over No. 9 Kentucky on Saturday night. The size of the fine is increased because it is the Vanderbilt athletic department's third offense of the school year. Students had little trouble getting past security as they congregated on the floor. Vanderbilt fans storming the court after beating No. 9 ranked Kentucky 74-69 — Vandy Hustler Sports (@vuhustlersports) January 25, 2025 Vanderbilt incurred its first penalty when it was fined $100,000 in October after the football team defeated then-No. 1 Alabama. Fans stormed the field in response to the win, tearing down a goal post and walking it two miles to dump it into the Cumberland River. Vanderbilt later set up an auction, selling off pieces of the goal post to help raise money to cover the fine. The second penalty came just last week, when the fans stormed the court after beating in-state rival No. 6 Tennessee 76-75. The cost that time: $250,000. The SEC's storming fines, which were raised in 2023, dictate that a first offense will cost $100,000, a second offense $250,000 and a third and subsequent offenses $500,000. Fines for field- or court-storming are paid out to the opposing team's school, so Kentucky should soon have a check for a half-million dollars coming its way. One person who was very aware of these potential costs was Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Lee, who was seen on the court pleading with the students to not rush the court as the game ended. Vanderbilt athletic director Candace Lee is in the student section asking students to not rush the court. 'Let us use the money for NIL to make a great team next year' — Grace Hall (@Grace_M_Hall) January 25, 2025 This is Candice Lee trying to convince the student section to not rush the court with 24 seconds remaining in the game… The students love her and you have to appreciate the effort but you knew it was going to happen regardless 🤣 #AnchorDown — Kate Pettersen (@KatePettersen_) January 26, 2025 With the school now facing a bill of $850,000 fines, Vanderbilt might not even be done adding to its total. The Commodores host No. 1 Auburn for a game on Feb. 11, in which it will be quite incentivized to beef up security as much as possible.
