GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In a remarkable performance, Mikayla Blakes achieved a record-setting 53 points, marking a new Southeastern Conference freshman record, as No. 23 Vanderbilt triumphed over Florida with a score of 99-86 on Thursday night.
Blakes fell just one point short of tying the NCAA Division I freshman record, which is held by Elena Delle Donne of Delaware, who scored 54 points in a loss against James Madison while being a redshirt freshman back in 2010. Previously, the highest score by a true freshman was 51 points, accomplished by JuJu Watkins from Southern California last season.
Coming off a stellar performance against then-No. 19 Alabama where she scored 33 points, Blakes had a season-high of 36 points before this game. She has now made history as the only player in either men’s or women’s Division I basketball to net at least 50 points in a game this season.
Alongside Blakes, Iyana Moore contributed significantly with 22 points, alongside seven rebounds and six assists for the Commodores (18-4, 5-3 SEC). Although Khamil Pierre had a rough shooting night with just three points from 1-of-10 attempts, she managed to gather 11 rebounds and made three steals.
Moore started a momentum change by scoring five points during a 9-0 run, which allowed Vanderbilt to take a 19-14 lead. During the second quarter, Blakes showcased her shooting prowess by hitting four 3-pointers and completing two three-point plays, outscoring the Gators 18-10. This exceptional effort led to a commanding halftime lead of 46-26 for the Commodores.
Florida attempted to reduce the gap with an 18-7 run, narrowing the score to 82-74 with 4:44 remaining in the game. However, Blakes rose to the occasion, scoring 14 points in the closing moments, while Florida managed just 12—securing the victory for Vanderbilt.
On the other side for Florida (11-11, 2-6), Ra Shaya Kyle had an impressive night, scoring 23 points and securing 12 rebounds, going 11-for-15 from the field. Liv McGill added 20 points to the score, while Jeriah Warren and Laila Reynolds contributed 13 and 10 points respectively.
Looking ahead, Vanderbilt is set to host Mississippi on Sunday, while Florida will travel to face Arkansas on Monday.
