Justine Pissott stood right in the middle of the huge Vanderbilt logo that crosses Memorial Gym’s half-court line, fresh off a 3-point jumper.
“Let’s [inaudible] go!” Pissott, an energetic senior who ranks among the SEC’s top outside shooters, shouted to her teammates.
A few seconds later, Vanderbilt rookie guard Aubrey Galvan stuffed a backcourt pass and took it straight to the basket. The successive plays were enough to bring the gym to a standing ovation, old men and small children screaming in equal measure, the room roaring until time expired on 10 minutes of basketball. It was overtime energy in the first quarter.
With Monday’s wire-to-wire win over the blue-and-orange Fighting Illini, Vanderbilt advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s third round, the Sweet 16, a first for the university’s resurgent basketball program since 2009. The playoff success continues a historic winning season for the Commodores that earned multiple coach-of-the-year honors for Shea Ralph and put superstar sophomore Mikayla Blakes on the short list for national player of the year.
Commodore men fall in heartbreaking fashion to Nebraska in second round
Through wins and losses, the team routinely emphasizes a bond deeper than basketball.
“ This past year I did struggle a little bit, just feeling like I didn't have a break,” said Blakes, tearing up at the post-game press conference, crediting her renewed joy for the game to Ralph’s leadership. “ It was something I was struggling with a lot. I couldn't ask for a better head coach, better mentor, better role model. This is a human being you want in your life.”
Against Illinois, Blakes threatened a rare college triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, followed by 18 points from Pissott and 12 from Galvan. The team outshot Illinois from the field and hassled the Illini with 19 combined steals and blocks. Equally impressive was Vanderbilt’s expert clock management late in the game. Ralph essentially declared victory with two minutes left, replacing her top players with the Commodores’ second unit.
Galvan and Blakes lead a star-studded front court that plays like it’s at home under the March Madness spotlight. Technically the ’Dores were at home — a two-seed, they earned hosting rights for the tournament’s first two rounds — and stacked two more postseason wins on top of an undefeated regular season in Memorial Gymnasium. Vanderbilt held a double-digit margin throughout most of the game and faced little resistance on offense, save a short battle against an Illinois full-court press early in the fourth quarter.
Senior Jada Brown has joined the two guards for valuable minutes in the tournament, scoring and defending at an even higher level than her regular season shifts. Pissott repeatedly nailed deep jumpers in the Commodores’ 75-57 win, especially when tight Illinois defense took away Galvan and Blakes. Early blocks from Sacha Washington helped stifle Illinois’ scoring as Vanderbilt held Illini forward Berry Wallace to 0 points in the first quarter and 22 percent from behind the three-point arc for the game.
The Commodores now travel to Texas for a Friday afternoon showdown against Notre Dame, a perennial contender led by all-American Hannah Hidalgo, Blakes’ Team USA teammate. Another Fighting Irish starter, prolific scorer Iyana Moore, played three seasons for Vanderbilt before transferring to Notre Dame last summer. Should Vanderbilt make the Elite Eight, the team would likely face defending champions the University of Connecticut, a powerhouse of women’s college basketball and Ralph’s former program. Vanderbilt is 4-1 against the five other SEC schools — Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Kentucky and South Carolina — that remain in the tournament.
