Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes pours in 35 as Commodores edge Kentucky 81-79 on final stop
Vanderbilt escapes late as Kentucky’s last possession is disrupted
Vanderbilt women’s basketball held off Kentucky, 81-79, on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Nashville, surviving a final defensive stand that preserved a top-20 Southeastern Conference result. With Kentucky down one in the closing seconds, the Wildcats put the ball in the hands of center Clara Strack. As Strack drove from the wing with four seconds left, Vanderbilt’s Justine Pissott knocked the ball loose, and Mikayla Blakes secured the possession.
Blakes was fouled with less than a second remaining, made the first free throw, and the ensuing Kentucky inbounds did not produce a shot before time expired.
Blakes’ 35 points and a late Galvan jumper define a tight finish
Blakes finished with 35 points as Vanderbilt improved to 25-3 overall and 11-3 in SEC play. Aubrey Galvan added 20 points and scored the go-ahead basket, a jumper with 7.9 seconds left that put Vanderbilt in front for good. Pissott scored eight points, including two fourth-quarter 3-pointers; one tied the game with 2:21 remaining.
The win left Vanderbilt tied with Texas for second place in the SEC with two games remaining in the regular season, tightening the race behind the conference leader and increasing the importance of late-season seeding and tiebreak scenarios.
Kentucky’s balanced perimeter shooting kept the Wildcats in position
Kentucky fell to 20-8 overall and 7-7 in the SEC, but remained within one possession throughout a back-and-forth second half. Strack led Kentucky with 17 points and seven rebounds. Amelia Hassett scored 15 points and hit five 3-pointers, providing spacing that helped Kentucky answer Vanderbilt runs and stay efficient despite extended defensive pressure.
Quarter-by-quarter scoring underscored the narrow margins: Kentucky led 46-44 at halftime and carried a 65-61 advantage into the fourth before Vanderbilt closed on a 20-14 final period.
What the result means with the postseason approaching
For Vanderbilt, the victory protected a high national ranking and strengthened its position near the top of the SEC standings with two regular-season games left.
For Kentucky, the loss deepened the middle-of-the-pack SEC logjam and increased the premium on closing games, particularly against teams with late-shot creation and pressure defense.
Game-deciding sequence: Galvan’s jumper gave Vanderbilt a one-point lead with 7.9 seconds left; Pissott’s deflection ended Kentucky’s final drive; Blakes’ late free throw prevented a last-second shot.
Next games
Kentucky is scheduled to play at Auburn on Thursday. Vanderbilt is scheduled to host Alabama on Thursday.