Mikayla Blakes’ 34 points help No. 5 Vanderbilt past No. 4 Texas, 86-70

NCAA scoring leader Mikayla Blakes had 34 points, Aubrey Galvan added 18 points and eight rebounds and No. 5 Vanderbilt beat No. 4 Texas on Thursday night, 86-70. Blakes increased his average to 26.2 points. She reached 30 or more for the fourth straight game and ninth time this season. The Commodores (24-2, 10-2 SEC) earned their third straight victory over a Top 25 team and their fourth overall. They trailed early before taking control midway through the first quarter. Madison Booker led Texas (23-3, 9-3) with 20 points and eight rebounds. Breya Cunningham had 14 points before fouling out late in the third quarter. Vanderbilt has won 14 straight home games this season, extending the school’s single-season record. After falling behind 7-4 early in the first quarter, Vanderbilt went on a 14-0 run and finished the opener with a 27-15 lead thanks to 9 of 12 shooting, including 4 of 5 from behind the 3-point line. The Commodores led 47-30 at halftime, paced by Blakes’ 15 points and Galvan’s 13. The Commodores led by as many as 26 midway through the third before Texas cut the lead to just 11 with 2:15 left in the fourth. Next, Texas plays No. 22 Tennessee on Sunday, while Vanderbilt is set to face Georgia. Associated Press reporting.