Blakes STUNS Clark! Ends Record Streak - What Happens Now?!

Last night was a whirlwind in College basketball, folks. From stunning upsets to record-breaking performances, the hardwood was sizzling. If you blinked, you might have missed it! But fear not, we're here to break down the highlights, starting with a truly special night in Nashville.

Blakes STUNS Clark! Ends Record Streak - What Happ...

The Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team achieved a program first, bulldozing No. 24 Alabama 85-60 and securing a perfect 16-0 record at home. That's quite a feat! They also notched their 12th SEC win of the year, another program best. Vandy came out firing, dropping 28 points in the first quarter while holding Bama to just 16. While Alabama tried to claw their way back in the second, the Commodores poured in 31 points after halftime, effectively slamming the door shut.

Alabama just couldn't get anything going. They shot a dismal 33% from the field and an even worse 6-for-26 from beyond the arc. Give credit to the Dores' defense, though; they were disruptive, forcing 23 turnovers and turning those miscues into 22 points. Defense wins championships, as they say.

But the real story of the night? Sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes. She absolutely exploded for 35 points on 11-for-21 shooting, including six 3-pointers. Add to that 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and a block, and you've got yourself a player-of-the-game performance. This was also her NCAA-leading 11th 30-point game of the season. She was simply unstoppable.

And here's where things get really interesting. The broadcast highlighted Blakes' historic achievement: her fifth consecutive game scoring at least 30 points against a top-25 team. That surpasses Iowa legend Caitlin Clark’s mark of four straight, the most since the 2021-2022 season. Think about that for a second. Surpassing any achievement of Clark, the all-time Division I scoring leader in College basketball, is a noteworthy feat indeed. It's the kind of thing that makes you sit up and take notice.

According to Vanderbilt, Blakes is the first player *this century* to achieve that feat during the regular season, and the first to stretch the streak to five since another Iowa player, Megan Gustafson, went six-straight in 2018-2019. The kid is on fire.

Blakes currently leads Division I in scoring, averaging a staggering 26.9 points per game. That's a massive jump from the 3.6 points she averaged last year, even though she earned AP 3rd Team All-American honors. Talk about a glow-up!

Vanderbilt's victory keeps them neck-and-neck with Texas for second place in the SEC. The Dores will conclude the regular season on the road against Tennessee, a team struggling with five consecutive losses and a 2-8 record in their last 10 games. But don't count the Vols out just yet; rivalry games are always unpredictable. Vanderbilt holds the head-to-head tiebreaker against Texas, placing their seeding destiny firmly in their own hands. The Commodores, led by the sensational Mikayla Blakes, are definitely a team to watch as we head into tournament season.