This is miles and miles more than anyone wants to know about what I think after a 48-point victory over Furman, but I find that writing about the team helps me focus my thoughts. So...
Lots of positives to find in a 96-48 win over a team with lesser talent. In some ways it was an odd game offensively. Since Mikayla Blakes planted her flag as one of the top players in the country last season, I can’t remember a game where she was less of a factor. She did score 15 points and shot 43 percent, but she was one of six players in double figures and didn’t lead the scoring. Her shot still looks just a tad off (mainly because she's missing more than usual), but I have absolute faith she’ll get it back on track. The best news is she didn’t force things tonight and seemed content to step it up in other areas with four assists, four steals and four rebounds along with just two turnovers. Also, she played only 29 minutes, which is appropriate in a blowout, especially considering there are games coming where she and Aubrey Galvan will have to play heavy minutes.
SEC Network announcer and former Vanderbilt great Carolyn Peck said she attended practice Sunday, and coach Ralph took Mikayla out of the lineup at times to show them they can find ways to score without her. It appears they took it to heart, and that’s definitely the biggest positive from Monday night’s game. As great as she is, if the team becomes too reliant on Blakes, it will not end well.
A few things that caught my attention:
- Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda looked much more comfortable than she did in the season opener. Furman does not have personnel with the size or athleticism to guard her on the wing, and she took full advantage with a team-high 16 points to go with five rebounds and four assists. She was 6 of 8 from the field, including a surprising 2 of 3 beyond the arc. I say surprising because she only hit one three-pointer all last season at Texas. She said coach Ralph and the staff have worked with her on the shot and given her confidence. To be fair, the 3-pointer does not feature in Vic Schaeffer’s Texas offense. He mostly kept her parked near the basket, and she shot 46 percent overall down there.
- Aiyana Mitchell, 6'4, had her second straight 12-point game, which is good news for a team that needs interior depth. She was perfect from the field hitting all four shots and went 4 of 6 at the line. Six rebounds rounded out another outstanding outing. She did all that in 14 minutes.
- Jada Brown (19 minutes) and Aga Makurat (18 minutes) had the most playing time off the bench, and Brown responded with 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting (2 of 3 beyond the arc). Aga seems to have lost confidence in her shot, but she did have five rebounds and has gotten noticeably better defensively.
- Monique Williams, 6'3, has battled a leg issue but got into the game late for three minutes and looked healthy. Ava Black is more than a year away from her knee surgery and played a full high-school season last year, but she’s wearing a full brace, which makes me wonder if the knee has flared up at times. She moved very well in limited minutes against Furman. Coach Ralph noted after the game that she wanted Ava and Jada Brown to get to the point where they can give Blakes and Galvan a break from time to time.
- Justine Pissott continues to show improvement. She had 13 points and six assists and was a vocal presence on the floor. I’m starting to believe.
- Last, but not least, freshman Aubrey Galvan led the team in minutes played with 31. She scored 11 points, had 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. The one negative was six first-half turnovers. The flip side is that she had no turnovers in the second half. She’s aware what she needs to work on, and acknowledged after the game that six turnovers is too many. I fell in love with this player watching highlights over the summer, and I’m excited to watch her progress. Also, I don’t think Vandy fans should sleep on freshmen Ava Black and Monique Williams. They didn’t arrive with the splash that Galvan has made, but both have the ability to become big contributors over time.
The negative:
* Free throw shooting was bad, or, as coach Ralph said, “atrocious.” They hit 12 of 22 for 55 percent. I have no doubt it will get better. Even Mikayla, who hit 23 in a row in a game at Auburn last season, was 1 of 4 Monday night.
