Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball (16-4, 3-3 SEC) improved to .500 in SEC play after trampling the Arkansas Razorbacks (8-13, 1-5) in a 101-60 win in Memorial Gymnasium on Jan. 23. The Commodores saw five players score in the double digits, including a 10-point performance off the bench by Madison Greene.
First-year Mikayla Blakes once again headlined the scoring for the Black and Gold, finishing with 24 points. Star sophomore Khamil Pierre followed with 20 points, and Jane Nwaba (13) and Iyana Moore (18) rounded out the other double-digit scorers.
“I felt like our team responded really well after a highly emotional game at home,” head coach Shea Ralph said. “There was no dip in the effort or energy or attention to detail.”
First quarter
Vanderbilt won the opening tip-off, but Jordyn Oliver missed the jumper to give Arkansas the ball. The Commodores quickly won the ball back thanks to a five-second violation, and Pierre converted on the other end. After a scoreless handful of possessions, a foul by Arkansas sent Moore to the line for two shots, both of which she converted to put the ‘Dores up 4-0.
Arkansas’s Phoenix Stotijn converted a mid-range jump shot to put her team on the board, but Jane Nwaba quickly answered on the other end to cancel Stotijn’s effort out and make it 6-2. A quick scoring exchange followed, with Arkansas converting two free throws, Pierre answering from the mid-range, Arkansas’ Carly Keats doing the same on the other end, and Nwaba sinking a layup to give Vanderbilt an 11-6 lead going into a media timeout.
The Razorbacks missed a 3-pointer fresh out of the timeout, and sophomore Aiyana Mitchell made them pay with a layup at the other end. Another missed three by Arkansas was answered with a made one by Moore. Arkansas and Vanderbilt exchanged midranges before Nwaba sunk a 3-pointer to put Vanderbilt up 21-8, prompting Arkansas to call a timeout.
The Razorbacks failed to make anything happen after the regroup, and Pierre converted a layup shortly. Vanderbilt quickly reclaimed the ball, and Mikayla Blakes drained a 3-pointer to extend Vanderbilt’s lead to 26-8. The Razorbacks missed another 3-point attempt but got another opportunity after a backcourt violation by Vanderbilt — which they also missed, putting them at 0-5 on the night. A layup ended the scoring drought for Arkansas, and the first quarter ended with Vanderbilt leading 26-10.
Second quarter
Blakes missed a mid-range to open the second, followed by a reach-in foul by Nwaba to give Arkansas the ball. A steal by Mitchell set Blakes up for her second 3-pointer of the night. Jumpers by Arkansas and Vanderbilt’s Greene offset each other before Nwaba sunk a putback off of a 3-point miss by Blakes. A foul by Greene sent Stotijn to the line, but the Razorback only converted one of two attempts. Moore made a layup as the shot clock expired, and Pierre added one of her own after a turnover by Arkansas, which resulted in a score of 39-13 in Vanderbilt’s favor.
Arkansas converted a layup after a media timeout, but Greene quickly answered with a deep mid-range. Kiki Smith made a jumper of her own for the Razorbacks, but again, Vanderbilt immediately answered, this time with a bucket by Pierre. Karley Johnson sank the Razorbacks’ first triple of the day to cut the lead to 21. Blakes quickly drained one of her own to make it 46-22, and Moore followed Blakes with another, but Arkansas countered with a mid-range on the other end. Free throws by Blakes made it 51-24, and an airball by Stotjin on the other end did not help Arkansas’ case. A missed layup by Mitchell opened the door for an Arkansas 3-pointer, but Justine Pissott finished a layup to counter. The first half ended with Vanderbilt holding a commanding 53-27 lead.
Third quarter
Arkansas got things going with a quick layup after a missed jumper by Nwaba. Nwaba learned from her mistake and drained a 3-pointer to bring herself to 13 points on the night. Arkansas and Vanderbilt exchanged buckets, but Arkansas drained back-to-back 3-pointers to close the gap. The run 6-0 Razorback run and a backcourt violation prompted Ralph to call a timeout.
Vanderbilt played strong, lockdown defense for about 20 seconds before a media timeout was called. Arkansas took advantage of the time to plan and sank a quick jumper. The Commodores offense faltered, and the Razorbacks converted one of two free throws after a foul by Moore. A foul by Arkansas sent Pierre to the line, but the sophomore also only converted one shot. Pierre compensated shortly after with a layup and two made free throws to bring the score to 63-44 Vanderbilt.
Blakes turned a steal into a layup before Vanderbilt and Arkansas traded triples to make it 68-47. Vanderbilt dominated the final seconds of the quarter, with Pierre making a layup through contact and Blakes converting two free throws to end the third with a 72-47 lead.
Fourth quarter
Greene drained a 3-pointer to kick off the fourth quarter, and Blakes converted a layup shortly after. Stotjin added 3 points to Arkansas’ tally, but Blakes and Leilani Kapinus both converted from downtown to negate Stotjin’s efforts and make the score 83-50 for Vanderbilt. Blakes’ hot streak continued, as she converted back-to-back layups thanks to a steal by Pierre.
A timeout called by Arkansas proved fruitful, as the Razorbacks converted a 3-pointer right out of the huddle. A 3-point play by Pierre offset Arkansas’ progress, and Kapinus showed off her defensive aptitude with a block and a steal on back-to-back defensive possessions. Moore then scored layups on back-to-back offensive efforts, and Jada Brown converted her first attempt of the night to bring the score to 98-53.
Arkansas converted its eighth triple, but Vanderbilt eclipsed 100 points on the next possession thanks to a 3-point conversion by Pissott. Johnson scored four points in quick succession for Arkansas, but with only 1 minute left on the clock, there was nothing left to be done. The game ended in a Vanderbilt win by a score of 101-60.
Vanderbilt will now turn its attention to the Alabama Crimson Tide for a Jan. 26 face-off in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CST.