NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mikayla Blakes scored 25 points as No. 2 seed Vanderbilt beat seventh-seeded Illinois 75-57 Monday night to advance to the Sweet 16 in the women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009.
Vanderbilt (29-4) now is one off matching the 30-win seasons of the 1993 Final Four squad and the 2001-02 Commodores for most wins in program history. The Commodores will play No. 6 seed Notre Dame, a winner over Ohio State earlier Monday, in the Fort Worth 1 Region on Friday in their 15th regional semifinal all-time.
Blakes just missed the first triple-double of her career. She checked out with 2:12 left with 10 rebounds and nine assists along with four steals. Justine Pissott scored 18 points, making four 3-pointers. Aubrey Galvan added 12.
Seventh-seeded Illinois (22-12) came in with the youngest team in this tournament after having to replace four starters. The Fighting Illini goes home still looking to end a Sweet 16 drought extending back to their last berth in 1998.
Berry Wallace led the Fighting Illini with 18 points, and Cearah Parchment and Jasmine Bown-Hagger each added 12.
These teams split the previous two games with this the first between the programs since November 1987. A lot has changed, especially for Vanderbilt.
Blakes is the nation’s leading scorer averaging 27.1 points a game, and she set Vanderbilt’s single-season scoring record in the first round. The AP All-American and Southeastern Conference player of the year missed her first three shots, so she stayed busy helping her teammates.
Parchment gave Illinois its only lead on the opening bucket before Vanderbilt took the lead for good with seven straight points. Parchment hit a jumper, and Aaliyah Guyton added a layup to pull the Fighting Illini within 7-6.
That was as close as Illinois would get as Vanderbilt finished the first quarter scoring the final nine points for a 21-8 lead. The Fighting Illini missed 11 consecutive shots and 13 of their final 15 in the quarter. Illinois outscored Vanderbilt 17-15 in the second quarter with Vanderbilt up 36-25 at halftime.
Illinois got within nine in the third on a bucket by Maddie Webber with 4:26 left. That’s when Vanderbilt finished the quarter on a 14-4 run keyed by four straight 3s. Blakes hit a pair of those and finished the spurt with a jumper as Vandy outscored Illinois 24-16 in the quarter for a 60-41 lead.
Perfect at home
Vanderbilt finished this season going undefeated at Memorial Gym in 18 games. The Commodores also improved to 16-2 in NCAA Tournament games on this court.
Anchor D
Illinois ranked 26th nationally shooting 45.7% from the floor this season, but Vanderbilt held the Fighting Illini to a season-low 29.6% (21 of 71).