Vanderbilt's Dominant Defensive Play Keeps Team Undefeated After Win Over USF
After two easy victories to open the season at home, the first road trip is in the books for the Vanderbilt Commodores as they pick up the victory in Tampa against the South Florida Bulls.
The Commodores led by eight points at the break and increased their lead against the Bulls at the Yuengling Center to pick up the 62-49 victory. The win moves the program to 4-0 all-time against South Flordia.
Vanderbilt forced plenty of South Florida mistakes, which ultimately made the difference in the contest. The team forced South Florida to commit 23 turnovers, including eight steals.
Three Commodores reached double digits in the contest as head coach Shea Ralph went five deep into her bench.
Forward Khamil Pierre led the team with 17 points and 10 rebounds against the Bulls. In all three games this season, the sophomore has collected a double-double. She is now the first Commodore since Koi Love in 2020-21 to open a season with three consecutive double-doubles.
Freshman Mikayla Blakes once again shined on the court for the Commodores as she picked up 16 points in the contest. She played 32 minutes in the game, the most so far in his collegiate career.
Guard Madison Greene, who made her first career start with the Commodores, had her best game of the season thus far, shooting 55 percent from the field and recording 15 points with four rebounds in the victory.
“This was a good team win. We scheduled this game for a reason. It’s on the road in a tough environment against a very good team and a very good program. We got a little banged up coming into the game,” said Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph. “I felt like doing what we did today, being down the players that we were down, and having other players step up and fill in; I don’t know if I can put into words how huge that is for this team this early in the season. I love the growth I’m seeing in my players and my team. I’m really proud of them. This was a hard-fought win on the road, and now we’re ready to go home and keep working.”
Overall, it wasn’t the best shooting day for the Commodores, as they finished 26-68 for 38 percent on the floor. They also struggled from behind the arc, only capitalizing on a quarter of their shots for three. They also only went 3-8 from the free-throw line.
Thankfully, South Florida also struggled with shooting in the contest. Despite outrebounding the Commodores, the Bulls' turnovers were too much to overcome.
After the win against South Flordia, Vanderbilt is now 3-0 for the second-straight season. They will return to Nashville for the next three games at Memorial Stadium. Next up is the Butler Bulldogs, who are also undefeated on Sunday. The contest will start at 2 p.m. ET and will be available on SEC Network+.
