Mikayla Blakes’ 34 Points Help Lift No. 5 Vanderbilt Past No. 4 Texas, 86-70

NCAA scoring leader Mikayla Blakes had 34 points, Aubrey Galvan added 18 points and eight rebounds and No. 5 Vanderbilt beat No. 4 Texas on Thursday night, 86-70. Blakes raised her scoring average to 26.2 points. She reached 30 or more for the fourth straight game and ninth time this season. The Commodores (24-2, 10-2 SEC) won their third straight over a Top 25 team and fourth overall. They trailed early before taking control midway through the first quarter. Madison Booker led Texas (23-3, 9-3) with 20 points and eight rebounds. Breya Cunningham had 14 points before fouling out late in the third quarter. Vanderbilt has won 14 consecutive home games this season, further extending the school record for a season. After falling behind 7-4 early in the first quarter, Vanderbilt went on a 14-0 run and finished the opening frame up 27-15 thanks to 9-for-12 shooting, including 4 of 5 from behind the 3-point line. The Commodores led 47-30 at the half, paced by Blakes’ 15 points and Galvan’s 13. The Commodores led by as many as 26 midway through the third before Texas closed the gap to as few as 11 with 2:15 left in the fourth. Next, Texas plays at No. 22 Tennessee on Sunday, while Vanderbilt is on the road to take on Georgia. Reporting by The Associated Press.