STARKVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — Mikayla Blakes scored 38 points to lead No. 18 Vanderbilt to an 89-84 win over Mississippi State in a Southeastern Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum. The Commodores improved to 18-0 overall. The Lady Bulldogs fell to 14-5. Vanderbilt used a decisive 30-point third quarter to build a cushion, then held off a late Mississippi State rally. Blakes added seven assists in 40 minutes. Saniyah King led the Lady Bulldogs with 13 points. Vanderbilt shot 50% from the field and made 18 of 20 free throws. Mississippi State shot 48.5% but was outscored by 18 points from beyond the arc. Attendance was 4,082.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — Mikayla Blakes scored 38 points and No. 1 Vanderbilt used a dominant third-quarter surge to hold off a furious Mississippi State rally, escaping Humphrey Coliseum with an 89-84 victory in a Southeastern Conference women’s basketball thriller on Thursday night. The Commodores, one of two remaining undefeated teams in Division I, improved to 18-0 overall and 4-0 in the SEC. The Lady Bulldogs fell to 14-5 and 2-3. Blakes, the dynamic 5-foot-8 guard from Somerset, New Jersey, was the engine for Vanderbilt, adding seven assists in 40 minutes. Her performance was part of a critical 30-point third quarter for the Commodores that turned a narrow halftime edge into a seemingly comfortable 15-point lead entering the final period. Vanderbilt led 36-35 at halftime in a tightly contested first half. The Commodores then erupted after the break, shooting 10 of 16 from the field in the third quarter while forcing six Mississippi State turnovers. Blakes scored 11 points in the period, including a driving layup and free throw with two seconds left to cap the quarter and give Vanderbilt a 66-51 advantage. The Lady Bulldogs refused to capitulate, mounting a relentless fourth-quarter charge. Sparked by Saniyah King, who scored 13 of her 15 points in the final period, Mississippi State unleashed a 29-point quarter. A 3-pointer by Jaylah Lampley with 7:03 remaining cut the deficit to 67-64, and the Lady Bulldogs kept the pressure on until the final seconds. Vanderbilt’s lead dwindled to 85-82 after King’s layup with 34 seconds left. On the ensuing inbounds play, Vanderbilt’s Aiyana Mitchell was called for a turnover, giving Mississippi State a chance to tie. Chandler Prater stole the inbounds pass, but King was called for an offensive foul on the drive, returning possession to Vanderbilt with 13 seconds left. Blakes was fouled and sank two free throws to push the lead back to five. After a missed 3-pointer by Mississippi State, Vanderbilt’ Sacha Washington secured the defensive rebound and was fouled, effectively sealing the game with two more free throws. The contest was a study in contrasting styles. Vanderbilt won with elite offensive efficiency, scoring 89 points on just 74 possessions for an offensive rating of 121.1. The Commodores shot 50% from the field and a blistering 90% from the free-throw line, making 18 of 20. Their ball security was less impressive, as they managed only four assists against 13 turnovers. Mississippi State, by contrast, played with more distribution and defensive activity, recording 10 assists and 10 steals. The Lady Bulldogs shot 48.5% from the field and got a major contribution from their bench, led by Favour Nwaedozi’s 14 points and seven rebounds. Kharyssa Richardson also scored 13, while Madison Francis and Trayanna Crisp each added 15 and eight points, respectively. Crisp matched Blakes with seven assists. Justine Pissott provided crucial support for Vanderbilt with 12 points, four assists and a block. Washington added nine points and three blocks, and Aiyana Mitchell scored 10 points off the bench. The most important sequence of the game was Vanderbilt’s third-quarter explosion. After a first half featuring eight ties and 10 lead changes where neither team led by more than five points, the Commodores imposed their will. They opened the second half on a 12-3 run, fueled by Blakes’ playmaking and defensive stops. This stretch created the necessary cushion to withstand Mississippi State’s late-game onslaught, a run that saw the Lady Bulldogs outscore Vanderbilt by 14 in the final quarter. Vanderbilt’s perfect season faced its sternest test yet in front of a crowd of 4,082. The Commodores entered as a 9.5-point favorite, but the final margin was a testament to Mississippi State’s resilience at home. The Commodores will next face Michigan in the Never Forget Tribute Classic in Newark, New Jersey, on Monday. Mississippi State returns to action at home against Kentucky on Sunday.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — The undefeated and No. 1-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores put their perfect record on the line Thursday night in a Southeastern Conference women’s basketball clash against the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum. Vanderbilt (17-0, 4-0 SEC) arrives as one of the nation’s hottest teams, fresh off a dominant 91-51 road win at Texas A&M on Sunday. The Commodores’ high-powered offense has scored at least 88 points in four of their last five games. They are led by star guard Mikayla Blakes, who is averaging 25.1 points per game in conference play. Blakes is coming off a 32-point performance in a win over LSU and a 35-point, 8-assist outing at Arkansas. Mississippi State (14-4, 1-3) seeks a season-defining upset to steady its conference campaign after two straight lopsided losses. The Lady Bulldogs fell 93-68 at rival Mississippi on Sunday, following a 95-47 defeat at Oklahoma. Guard Chandler Prater, who scored 15 points in the loss to the Rebels, will be a key figure for the home team. Mississippi State has shown its potential in Starkville, where it is 9-1 this season, including a 75-53 SEC win over Auburn. The matchup pits Vanderbilt’s elite offense against a Mississippi State defense that has struggled in its two road conference losses. The Commodores’ backcourt of Blakes and Aubrey Galvan, who had 12 points and 7 assists against Texas A&M, will test the Lady Bulldogs’ perimeter defense. For Mississippi State, generating offense beyond Prater will be critical; Destiney McPhaul and Favour Nwaedozi combined for 26 points in the recent loss. A Vanderbilt win would maintain its grip on the SEC lead, while a Mississippi State victory would provide a crucial resume boost and ignite its conference standings. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. EST. Vanderbilt visits Michigan in a non-conference game on Jan. 19, while Mississippi State hosts Kentucky on Jan. 18.