Blakes Takes Knoxville: No. 5 Vanderbilt Faces Tennessee on the Road in Regular Season Finale
Date: March 1, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM CST
TV: ESPN
ESPN Matchup Predictor: 52.4% in favor of Tennessee
AP Rank
Tennessee – N/A
Vanderbilt – 5
Net Rank
Tennessee – 21
Vanderbilt – 7
Statistics
Strength of Schedule:
- Tennessee: 16
- Vanderbilt: 20
Points Per Game:
- Tennessee: 77.4
- Vanderbilt: 84.8 (9th in Nation)
Opponent Points Per Game:
- Tennessee: 68.5
- Vanderbilt: 64.3
Effective FG%:
- Tennessee: 50.7%
- Vanderbilt: 55.0%
Top Players:
- Tennessee:
- o Talaysia Cooper: 15.9 PPG; 4.9 RPG; 3.7 APG; 2.7 SPG
- o Janiah Barker: 13.9 PPG; 6.6 RPG; 1.2 APG; 1.1 SPG; 0.9 BPG
- o Lazaria Spearman: 10.1 PPG; 5.9 RPG; 1.0 APG; 0.8 SPG; 1.2 BPG
- o Mia Pauldo: 10.8 PPG; 2.4 RPG; 2.5 APG; 1.2 SPG
- o Nya Robertson: 8.5 PPG; 2.4 RPG; 1.4 APG; 0.7 SPG
- Vanderbilt:
- Mikayla Blakes: 26.9 PPG; 3.8 RPG; 4.6 APG; 3.0 SPG
- Aubrey Galvan: 12.6 PPG; 3.3 RPG; 6.0 APG; 2.7 SPG
- Justine Pissott: 11.7 PPG; 4.6 RPG; 2.3 APG; 0.4 SPG; 0.8 BPG
- Sacha Washington: 10.3 PPG; 7.5 RPG; 1.8 APG; 1.1 SPG; 0.8 BPG
- Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda: 7.2 PPG; 3.2 RPG; 0.9 APG; 1.1 SPG
- Aiyana Mitchell: 6.3 PPG; 4.5 RPG; 0.9 APG; 0.9 SPG; 1.0 BPG
Analysis
After taking care of business in their last outing, Vanderbilt now turns its attention to the rivalry game everyone circles on the calendar. This time, the Commodores head to Knoxville to face Tennessee on its home floor. The Lady Vols come in at an interesting moment in their season, having dropped their last five games. The frustration has not been quiet, either. Their head coach has publicly challenged the team’s toughness and even called them out for quitting in key stretches. That is not something you hear often from a program with Tennessee’s pedigree, especially this late in the year. The question now is simple: how will they respond at home?
Even during the skid, Tennessee’s identity has not changed. They want pace, pressure, and volume from deep. The Lady Vols shoot more three-pointers than anyone in the conference, averaging 28.5 attempts per game. When they get hot, they can bury you in a hurry. When they do not, things can unravel, which has been part of the story during this losing streak.
It starts with Talaysia Cooper, one of the most dynamic guards in the SEC. She attacks downhill, generates steals, and thrives in chaos. She’s the engine for this team offensively and defensively.
In the frontcourt, Janiah Barker gives Tennessee a versatile scoring presence. At 6-foot-4, she can finish inside, clean up on the glass, and step out comfortably, making her a tough matchup. Alongside her, Lazaria Spearman brings physicality and rebounding, especially on second-chance opportunities.
Tennessee has their own freshman sensation in Mia Pauldo, who has also been a key piece in the backcourt, giving them another scoring threat and secondary playmaker. Senior Nya Robertson adds experience and perimeter shot-making.
If Tennessee is going to snap the skid, it will likely be because Cooper sets the tone early and their size inside controls the glass.
For Vanderbilt, the blueprint remains the same, regardless of venue. Mikayla Blakes, the best player in the country, will look to control the tempo and quiet the crowd early. Road environments test composure, and Blakes has shown repeatedly that the moment does not faze her. Aubrey Galvan will be equally important. Tennessee thrives on forcing live-ball turnovers, and protecting the ball in a hostile environment is critical. If Galvan keeps things steady, Vanderbilt can dictate pace instead of playing into Tennessee’s hands.
And then there is Justine Pissott. The senior is one of the best three-point shooters in the country, and this game carries a little extra meaning for her. Pissott began her career at Tennessee before transferring to Vanderbilt, and now returns to Knoxville as a key piece of one of the top teams in the nation. If Tennessee is going to pack the paint to slow Blakes, Pissott’s perimeter shooting becomes even more dangerous. When she is in rhythm from deep, Vanderbilt’s offense reaches another level.
Defensively, Vanderbilt must contest the arc without overhelping. Tennessee’s 28.5 three-point attempts per game are not accidental. They want rhythm threes in transition and kick-outs after paint touches. Tennessee also has 2 forwards with great scoring ability, which is not a great matchup for Vanderbilt. I would expect Ralph to play Mitchell and Washington at the same time like she did during the LSU matchup. Contest, rebound, and avoid giving the home crowd something to erupt about. That is the formula.
It is Vanderbilt and Tennessee in Knoxville. One team is trying to stop a five-game slide after being publicly challenged. The other is chasing momentum heading into March. Rivalry game, road environment, postseason implications. It does not get much better than this.
Watch this on ESPN today! Support the Dores!
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