No. 7 Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball (16-0, 3-0 SEC) extended their win streak to a historic 16-straight by defeating the Missouri Tigers (12-6, 0-3) 99-68 in Memorial Gymnasium on Jan. 8. This is the program’s best start since 1992, when it won 17 straight and finished 30-3. That team finished No. 1 in the final AP Poll of the regular season and made it all the way to the Final Four. 

The win was a team effort, as five players finished in double digits: Mikayla Blakes 20, Aubrey Galvan 19, Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda 15, Justine Pissott 15 and Sacha Washington 15. Blakes, who was averaging 25.2 points per game before Thursday’s game, had a somewhat quieter night, but her teammates showed they could step up when needed.

Head coach Shea Ralph’s team looked comfortable in the first half, despite some back-and-forth, finishing with an 11-point lead. The Commodores settled in for the second half and pulled away comfortably.

“We had to grind it out a little bit in the beginning, but that’s basketball” Ralph said. “Every night’s not going to be your night, but if you have a great team, then you don’t have to worry about it. It might be someone else’s night.”

First quarter 

Pissott got the scoring started on the first possession of the game, draining what seemed like an effortless triple. The Tigers immediately tied things up on the other end, however. Good buildup play from the Commodores set up a flashy midrange fadeaway by Mwenentanda to make it 5-3 Vanderbilt. Galvan committed turnovers on Vanderbilt’s next two possessions, looking to find Mwenentanda and then Blakes under the rim. 

The Tigers evened the game from the charity after the second turnover. The draw was short-lived, however, as Pissott drained her second 3-pointer seconds later to make it 8-5. The junior then provided a block on the other end. 

The Tigers drew within 1 off a layup, but Washington answered with one of her own on the other end. After a free-throw make from the Tigers and Aiyana Mitchell’s first basket of the game, Pissott committed a turnover on an inbound pass that led to a layup by a Tiger. 

The Commodores extended their lead to 17-12 off another triple by Pissott and a layup by Mwenentanda, but Missouri quickly tied the game after a swing in momentum. Galvan and Blakes’ first buckets pushed the Commodores up to 22 points, but the Tigers equalized again. The quarter ended at 27-23 after a 3-pointer by Galvan. 

Second quarter 

Both teams stalled out of the break, but the Tigers eventually took their first lead off back-to-back triples that made it 29-28 in their favor. The Tigers grew their lead to 32-29, but after some chaotic back-and-forth, Blakes and Galvan reclaimed a 39-35 lead with a 3-pointer and a tough layup, respectively. 

Pissott crashed towards the rim for her 11th point of the game, which gave the Commodores a 43-37 lead after an earlier bucket from Washington. Galvan ended the half with 5 straight points off a tough and-1 and a midrange jump shot. 

Third quarter 

Washington converted a tough and-1 on Vanderbilt’s first possession of the second half. Pissott made two free throws and the Tigers answered with their first bucket of the half, a 3-pointer. Mwenentanda scored the next 5 to make before Washington converted a layup to make it 59-40, after which the Tigers called a timeout. Both sides exchanged punch after punch, but the Tigers gradually cut the lead down to 65-53 with under a minute to play in the third.

Washington stopped the bleeding and scored 3 straight points for the Commodores to make it 68-53 to end the quarter.

Fourth quarter

Washington continued her dominance, with 4 points and 2 rebounds in the first three minutes of the fourth. The Commodores again started to pull away, growing a 79-57 lead off another Galvan 3-pointer with six minutes to play. The Tigers went roughly four minutes scoreless, as Vanderbilt grew its lead to 91-57. Blakes and Galvan subbed out at the 2:38 mark. The game ended 99-68.

Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball will chart a course for College Station, Texas, where it will take on Texas A&M for another SEC showdown on Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. CST.