The Auburn Tigers hosted the Vanderbilt Commodores on Sunday in a competitive matchup, but fatigue caught up to them as they fell 98-88 in overtime. Freshman Mikayla Blakes powered Vanderbilt's comeback with a record-breaking 55-point performance.
Blakes shattered her own NCAA freshman scoring record, surpassing the 53 points she scored against Florida on January 30 with her 55 points on Sunday. She also became the first SEC freshman to record multiple 50+ point games in a season. Her clutch performance was highlighted by three crucial free throws in the final seconds of regulation after Auburn's Mar’shaun Bostic fouled her on a three-point attempt.
"Pressure builds diamonds; in those moments, you can't crumble," Blakes said after the game.
Auburn’s Yuting Deng had a career-high 27 points, including four three-pointers, while DeYona Gaston added 25. The duo combined for 52 points.
In Auburn's press conference, coach Johnnie Harris said, "Those two are developing good chemistry, they are two that stay in the gym," commending Gaston and Deng's chemistry and work ethic.
Auburn started strong, with Deng and Gaston combining for 10 points early. Bostic led the Tigers with six in the first quarter, and Auburn forced five Vanderbilt turnovers. Blakes (10 points) and Khamil Pierre (seven points) kept Vanderbilt close, trailing by just one after the first frame.
Vanderbilt never lost hope, taking the lead from the Tigers twice throughout the second quarter, but Auburn wasn't going to cave in to the upsurge in Vanderbilt's momentum. More players found themselves on the score sheet in the second, and offensive performance improved from the first for both teams as well. Celia Sumbane for the Tigers was a big contributor as well, scoring eight points with perfect shooting.
Yuting Deng caught fire and gave Auburn life as she knocked down four three-pointers, and both teams couldn't miss from the charity stripe. More momentum went to Auburn as the half came to a close, but Vanderbilt found a way to keep it within three. Auburn remained on top, with the score being 42-39 at half.
The Tigers extended their advantage in the third quarter, outscoring Vanderbilt 10-6 early. Deng led the way with 11 points, supported by Gaston's nine. However, turnovers cost Auburn, allowing Vanderbilt to stay within striking distance. Despite a poor shooting quarter for Vanderbilt, Blakes kept the Commodores in the game, and Auburn entered the fourth up 64-56.
Vanderbilt caught fire toward the end and took the game back from Auburn. The Commodores went on a 20-5 run, leading to a tied ball game. After costly turnovers and critical misses by Auburn, Blakes wound up getting to the free throw line with 0.9 seconds left, where she would hit all three to send the game to overtime. Vanderbilt fought back for the win in overtime, outscoring the Tigers 14-4.
The Tigers will face their nemesis No. 21 ranked Alabama at Coleman Coliseum on Sunday, February 23, with tipoff at 4 p.m.
