Vandy's Blakes nets 55, sets NCAA freshman mark

AUBURN, Ala. -- Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes scored a Division I women's freshman record 55 points on Sunday in a 98-88 overtime victory over Auburn.

Blakes, a 5-foot-8 guard who is averaging 21.8 points, shot 15 for 28 from the field with two 3-pointers and made 23 of 24 free throws. She broke the record set by Elena Delle Donne, who scored 54 as a redshirt freshman at Delaware in a 2010 loss to James Madison.

"I'm just excited. I had to prove myself, and just do whatever needed to be done for us to win today," Blakes said in Vanderbilt's postgame media availability. "So, I just wanted to really dig deep and just show my effort and energy."

Ayoka Lee of Kansas State holds the NCAA Division I record for points in a game with 61, set in 2022.

Blakes scored her 55th point from the foul line with 17 seconds left in OT. She then missed her next free throw, the only miss in 24 attempts. She scored 11 of her points in overtime.

"I had a mindset change to be more confident in myself," she said. "When things are being denied for me, and I'm being pressured, just to be able to handle that better, and be more mature. So, I think I tried to do that today."

Blakes sent the game to overtime, hitting all three free throws after being fouled with less than a second left in regulation. She scored 16 points in the first half and 28 in the second.

"I knew coming in here today that we were going to win today. We had to," Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said. "And that was the mindset that my team showed up with, and Mikayla showed up."

Blakes also scored 53 points on Jan. 30 in a victory over Florida.

"I do want to say, while it was another amazing by her, that she wouldn't have been able to do it without a lot of kids stepping up," Ralph said of Blakes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.