Vanderbilt Stuns No. 15 Lady Vols with Last-Second Shot

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The No. 15 Tennessee Lady Vols suffered a heartbreaking 71-70 loss to Vanderbilt on Friday night, as Commodores freshman Mikayla Blakes sank a game-winning shot with four seconds remaining at Memorial Gymnasium.

Tennessee (15-3, 3-3 SEC) led 70-69 after Ruby Whitehorn’s layup with four seconds left, but Vanderbilt (15-4, 2-3) secured an offensive rebound and Blakes converted the put-back to seal the victory. The Lady Vols had 0.8 seconds remaining but failed to get a shot off.

“It’s a tough one to swallow,” said Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell. “We fought back, but we couldn’t finish it. Credit to Vanderbilt for making the plays when it mattered.”

The Lady Vols were led by Talaysia Cooper, who scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds, and added two assists, two blocks, and two steals. Despite her efforts, Tennessee struggled offensively, shooting just 38.2% from the field and 23.1% from beyond the arc.

Vanderbilt, which shot 37.1% overall and 31.6% from three-point range, capitalized on Tennessee’s second-quarter struggles. The Lady Vols scored only five points in the period, their worst offensive quarter of the season, and trailed 37-26 at halftime.

Tennessee mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, using a 19-4 run to take a five-point lead with two minutes remaining. Jewel Spear sparked the rally with multiple three-pointers, but Vanderbilt’s resilience proved decisive.

“We showed a lot of fight to get back in it,” Cooper said. “But we have to learn how to close out games like this.”

The loss marks the second consecutive one-point defeat for Tennessee basketball programs at Vanderbilt, following the men’s team’s loss on Saturday. The Lady Vols will look to rebound on the road against No. 7 Texas on Jan. 23 before hosting No. 2 South Carolina on Jan. 27.