Only four games after setting the NCAA scoring record for a freshman, Mikayla Blakes broke her own mark in Vanderbilt’s 98-88 overtime victory at Auburn on Sunday.
Blakes scored 55 points in the win, bettering her 53-point total in Vandy’s 99-86 victory over Florida on Jan. 30.
kAm$96 ?@H 9@=5D E96 ?2E:@?2= D:?8=6\82>6 D4@C:?8 C64@C5 7@C 6:E96C 2 C65D9:CE 7C6D9>2? @C 2 ECF6 7C6D9>6?[ 2D H6== 2D E96 $tr C64@C5 2?5 '2?56C3:=E C64@C5 7@C A@:?ED :? 2 D:?8=6 82>6]k^Am
kAmq=2<6D’ E@E2= 96=A65 '2?56C3:=E W`h\f[ e\eX D?2A 2 E9C66\82>6 =@D:?8 DEC62<[ 2?5 :E 42>6 ;FDE E9C66 52JD 27E6C D96 DECF88=65 :? 2? @G6CE:>6 =@DD E@ |:DD:DD:AA: $E2E6[ D9@@E:?8 7@FC\@7\`h 7C@> E96 7:6=5 2?5 D4@C:?8 `b A@:?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 d\g 8F2C5 7C@> }6H y6CD6J >256 E9C66 7C66 E9C@HD H:E9 =6DD E92? 2 D64@?5 =67E :? C68F=2E:@? 282:?DE pF3FC? E@ E:6 E96 82>6 2E gc 2?5 D6?5 :E :?E@ @G6CE:>6]k^Am
kAm“x’> ;FDE 6I4:E65[” q=2<6D D2:5] “x E9:?< x 925 E@ AC@G6 >JD6=7 2?5 ;FDE 5@ H92E6G6C ?66565 E@ 36 5@?6 7@C FD E@ H:? E@52J] $@ x ;FDE C62==J H2?E65 E@ 5:8 566A 2?5 ;FDE D9@H >J 677@CE 2?5 6?6C8J 2?5 36 ,2 8@@5. E62>>2E6 E@52J]”k^Am
kAmq=2<6D 3642>6 E96 7:CDE 7C6D9>2? E9:D 46?EFCJ E@ C64@C5 EH@ d_\A=FD A@:?E 82>6D :? E96 D2>6 D62D@?[ 2?5 E96 7@FCE9 }rpp s:G:D:@? x A=2J6C E@ 244@>A=:D9 E96 762E D:?46 `hhh\__]k^Am
kAmq=2<6D >256 `d\@7\ag D9@ED @G6C2== 282:?DE E96 %:86CD W`a\`c[ b\`_X[ 9:EE:?8 @? EH@\@7\D6G6? E9C66\A@:?E 2EE6>AED 2?5 >2<:?8 ab\@7\ac 7C66\E9C@H 2EE6>AED] $96 25565 7:G6 C63@F?5D[ 7:G6 2DD:DED 2?5 E9C66 DE62=D]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJE9:?8 DE2CED H:E9 96C >6?E2=:EJ 2?5 96C >:?5D6E[” '2?5J H@>6?’D 4@249 $962 #2=A9 D2:5] “p=E9@F89 D96 A6C7@C>D =:<6 2 7:7E9\J62C D6?:@C[ D96’D DE:== 2 7C6D9>2? 2?5 D96’D DE:== 8@:?8 E9C@F89 D@>6 E9:?8D E92E 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 C6BF:C65 7@C 96C E@ 8@ E9C@F89 7@C 96C F=E:>2E6 8C@HE9 D@ ,E92E. D96 42? >2I:>:K6 96C 7F== A@E6?E:2= 2D 2 A=2J6C]k^Am
kAm“p =@E @7 E:>6D 7C6D9>6? 2C6?’E AFE :? E96 A@D:E:@? D96’D AFE :? 6G6CJ 52J E@ 92G6 E@ =62C? E96D6 E9:?8D @? E96 4@FCE … 2?5 92G6[ x’> 8F6DD:?8 7@C 96C[ =2J6CD @7 AC6DDFC6 369:?5 E92E] qFE D96 H2D 3F:=E 7@C :E] x E9:?< D96 42>6 :? 2?5 925 2 5:776C6?E >:?5D6E E@52J]”k^Am
kAmq=2<6D’ @FEAFE H2D 4C:E:42= E@ 2 '2?56C3:=E E62> E92E EC2:=65 fc\dh H:E9 eib_ =67E :? E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C[ 2D D96 D4@C65 `h @7 E96 r@>>@5@C6D’ 7:?2= ad A@:?ED E@ 7@C46 @G6CE:>6] $96 >256 E96 82>6\EJ:?8 7C66 E9C@HD 27E6C 86EE:?8 7@F=65 3J pF3FC?’D |2C’D92F? q@DE:4 H9:=6 2EE6>AE:?8 2 E9C66\A@:?E D9@E H:E9 _]h D64@?5D =67E @? E96 4=@4<]k^Am
kAm“%96 @?=J E9:?8 :? >J >:?5 H2D ;FDE E@ >2<6 E96>[” q=2<6D D2:5] “!C6DDFC6 3F:=5D 5:2>@?5D[ D@ x E9:?< :? E9@D6 >@>6?ED[ J@F 42?’E 4CF>3=6] *@F 92G6 E@ 36 4@?7:56?E :? J@FCD6=7] |J E62>>2E6D H6C6 4@?7:56?E :? >6] %96J E@=5 >6 1,J@F. 8@E E9:D[’ 2?5 E92E E@@< @FE E96 3FEE6C7=:6D]”k^Am
kAm%96 ‘s@C6D D4@C65 E96 7:CDE ?:?6 A@:?ED @7 @G6CE:>6 2?5 6G6?EF2==J @FED4@C65 pF3FC? `c\c :? E96 6IEC2 D6DD:@?[ H:E9 q=2<6D 255:?8 `` A@:?ED E@ 96C cc\A@:?E C68F=2E:@? E@E2=]k^Am
kAm“x <?6H D96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 E96>[” #2=A9 D2:5 @7 E96 E9C66 7C66 E9@HD] “~?46 ,D96. 5:5 E92E[ x <?6H H6 H6C6 8@:?8 E@ H:? E96 82>6] %96 A=2J6CD H6C6 36=:6G:?8] %96J A=2J65 E92E H9@=6 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C =:<6 E96J 36=:6G65]”k^Am
kAm%96 `d\A@:?E 567:4:E '2?56C3:=E @G6C42>6 E@ H:? H2D E96 AC@8C2>VD D64@?5 >@DE D:8?7:42?E @7 E96 46?EFCJ[ EC2:=:?8 @?=J 2 `f\A@:?E 4@>6324< G:4E@CJ '2?56C3:=E C64@C565 282:?DE v6@C8:2 :? a__c]k^Am
kAmu@CH2C5 z92>:= !:6CC6 D4@C65 `h A@:?ED 7@C '2?5J[ H9:=6 7@CH2C5 p:J2?2 |:E496== AF==65 5@H? 2 E62>\9:89 D6G6? C63@F?5D 2?5 25565 7@FC 3=@4<65 D9@ED] vF2C5 y@C5J? ~=:G6C 49:AA65 :? D:I DE62=D 2?5 7@FC 2DD:DED]k^Am
kAm“x 5@ H2?E E@ D2J E92E :E H2D 2?@E96C :?4C65:3=J 2>2K:?8 A6C7@C>2?46 3J ,q=2<6D.[ 3FE D96 H@F=5?’E 92G6 366? 23=6 E@ 5@ :E H:E9@FE 2 =@E @7 <:5D DE6AA:?8 FA[” #2=A9 D2:5] “%96C6 2C6 =@ED @7 H2JD H6’C6 8C@H:?8] x’> C62==J AC@F5 @7 E9:D E62> 7@C E96 C6D:=:6?4J H6 D9@H65 2?5 x’> 6I4:E65 7@C E96> E@ 46=63C2E6 2 9F86 H:? @? E96 C@25]”k^Am

