After a disappointing loss to Ole Miss on Feb. 2, Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball (18-5, 5-4) will look to bounce back against No. 6 Texas (22-2, 8-1). The game will tip off at 8 p.m. CST on Feb. 6 at the Moody Center in Austin.
Texas is a new opponent for No. 24 Vanderbilt, as this is its first year in the SEC. The Commodores and the Longhorns haven’t faced off since 1996. Texas currently sits at No. 3 in the NET rankings, while Vanderbilt is ranked at No. 19; securing a victory on the road against a top-10 team could heavily bolster the Commodores’ NCAA Tournament resume as they make a case to be a host in the Big Dance.
Willingness and effort
Head coach Shea Ralph was disappointed in her team’s slow start and lack of effort during their game against Ole Miss. The longer, athletic players and level of physicality, especially in the post, gave the Commodores trouble that affected both their play and morale. In her postgame press conference, Ralph expressed frustration.
“When it got hard, the lack of communication showed up in [their] effort, in [their] body language and in [their] huddles on the court and on the bench,” Ralph said.
This Texas matchup represents another team with long, athletic and physical players. Taylor Jones, the Longhorns’ starting forward, is 6’4, and three of the four guards alongside her are over 6 feet tall. The Longhorns also have a 6’6 center in Kyla Oldacre, who comes off the bench. Vanderbilt’s frontcourt will be outsized — starting forwards Khamil Pierre and Jane Nwaba stand at 6’2 and 5’10, respectively. As a team, the ‘Dores will need to box out hard and try to hold Texas under its 16.5 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks third in the SEC. Texas tends to crush opponents with second-chance points — it has averaged 15.4 over its last five SEC games.
Everything Vanderbilt does well, Texas statistically does better. Texas head coach Vic Schaefer, very similar to Ralph, hangs his hat on defensive intensity and rebounding. Per HerHoopStats, the Longhorns have a better defensive rating (70.0) than the Commodores (80.3) and a better offensive rating as well (121.4 and 114.3, respectively). Vanderbilt will have to dig its heels in on defense and be efficient on offense if it wants to pull out a victory.
Dynamic duos
Vanderbilt’s dynamic duo of Mikayla Blakes and Pierre will have a challenging matchup in Rori Harmon and Madison Booker. All four players are contenders for National Player of the Year as they were named to the 2024-25 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watch List.
Harmon, a 5’6 point guard, shares many similarities with 5’8 Blakes — they are both pesky on defense and will not hesitate to pick someone up full court. Blakes scores more than Harmon does (22.1 points per game vs. 10.1 points per game), but Harmon averages more assists (6.3 vs. 3.0) and is far more experienced than Blakes as a senior.
Booker and Pierre also share many of the same characteristics. Both sophomores can be characterized as point forwards — they stand at 6’1 and 6’2 respectively and have impressive ball-handling skills, shot range and footwork for their size. Pierre averages a double-double (21 points per game, 10.1 rebounds per game) and 3.2 steals per game while Booker averages 16.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
Pace and space
Vanderbilt’s ability to control the tempo will be critical — it plays at a slightly faster pace than Texas, according to Torvik, at 73 possessions per 40 minutes as opposed to Texas’ 70. In addition, the Commodores’ stifling press, which has become a foundational part of their identity, tends to speed up their opponents. Both teams average 13 turnovers per game, so if this game is close, it might come down to who controls the pace, handles the pressure and takes care of the basketball better.
The Commodores also almost double Texas’ 3-point attempts per game (21.1 vs 11.0, respectively). In addition, Vanderbilt averages a higher 3-point percentage at 33.1% versus Texas’ 30.2% despite the higher volume. If Vanderbilt’s 3-point shooters can knock down shots early, this could open up the lane for Pierre and other players to work, since defenders won’t be able to help off shooters. In its contest against Ole Miss, Vanderbilt shot a measly 2-of-9 from downtown. Luckily, basketball is a game of averages, so hopefully Vanderbilt can bounce back and shoot closer to its normal.
Texas is a formidable opponent, and Vanderbilt will have to put together a complete 40-minute performance on both ends of the floor if it hopes to pull out a victory. This game tips off at 8 p.m. CST on Feb. 6 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
