Vanderbilt basketball coach Shea Ralph had a few choices when drawing up the play down one against No. 15 Tennessee. She could give the ball to star forward Khamil Pierre, a monster athlete who’s often unstoppable in the paint. She could choose veteran Iyana Moore, the team’s best shooter. Or she could go to star freshman Mikayla Blakes, who had equaled Pierre’s 21 points in the game.

Ralph chose Pierre. She received the ball on the inbounds from Blakes, then drove to the basket, generating an open look for the lead. But she missed, and that’s when Blakes came in. When Pierre released the ball, Blakes stood just beyond the free-throw line. But by the time Pierre’s shot rolled off the rim, Blakes was there. She leaped, pushing the ball into the basket, and it dropped, giving Vanderbilt the 71-70 victory.

With that, Vanderbilt women’s basketball (15-4, 2-3 SEC) had its first win over the Tennessee Lady Vols in five years and the first rivalry win under Ralph. Blakes, a McDonald’s All American and the No. 8 player in the Class of 2024 who chose the Commodores over a long list of blue bloods, including Tennessee, had her first superstar moment. Blakes said it was the best moment of her basketball career.

“I couldn’t tell you what I saw,” Blakes said. “I mean, I saw the ball go up, and then I was thinking it was going in, and then it came off the rim right into my hands. So I had to make that.”

The Commodores led most of the game against the Lady Vols (15-3, 3-3). But a 15-2 run in the fourth quarter gave Tennessee the lead, with the Lady Vols going up by as many as five with just over two minutes to go.

But several hustle plays got Vanderbilt back in it. The Commodores forced Tennessee to call timeout when it couldn’t get the ball in on an inbounds. After that timeout, the Lady Vols got the ball in but got tied up at midcourt, giving the ball back to Vanderbilt. Pierre made two free throws to take the lead back with 31 seconds to go.

But the Commodores allowed an open layup on the other end, giving Ralph 4.9 seconds for the win. That’s when Blakes stepped in.

Vanderbilt has been in a slow build under Ralph. The Commodores finally got back to the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade in 2024, but it was as a First Four team. Vanderbilt won all but one regular-season game against teams ranked below it in the SEC but didn’t win a single game against a higher-ranked team. The Commodores came close to their first statement win at LSU on Monday, but Vanderbilt couldn’t finish the deal and lost by six.

COURT STORMING How much Vanderbilt basketball has to pay Tennessee for storming court after upset of Vols

“I told them before this game, there’s a fork in the road for us,” Ralph said. “We’ve had a couple of really tough losses where we got smacked. We have ones where we’re really close on the road, and we lost and our team is tired of being right there. They said that we’re tired of being right there. We want to be there. And I said, Well, we must keep working. … Do we just, you know what, we’re right there, or do we really lock in and say, No, we’re going to get there now?”

The Lady Vols are known for pressuring the ball, forcing turnovers and getting in transition. But Vanderbilt forced Tennessee into a slower-paced game, one without a ton of fastbreak opportunities and just 22 combined turnovers. Both teams shot below 40% from the field, but the Commodores made a higher percentage of threes (32% to 23%) and went 19-for-22 on free throws compared to 12-for-15 for the Lady Vols.

This was the game, and the shot, that announced Vanderbilt as a force to be reckoned with in the SEC. Not just a team that will rack up wins by beating lower-tier programs but one that can win big games too. Blakes has been a big part of that. Players like her who could’ve gone anywhere out of high school, and players like Pierre and Moore who could’ve had transfer opportunities, have stayed with the Commodores because, as Ralph said, they don’t want the easy way out.

“Today, I think not only did the players buy in, but now they fully believe, because they saw what it what it is,” Ralph said. “They saw how we can do it and they achieved the result that we were after.”

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.

Tennessee hosted Auburn commit Hezekiah Harris on Saturday for a junior day and the Alabama native was impressed by Rocky Top.

“I enjoyed getting to bond with the coaches,” Harris said. “Getting to know them and stuff and the environment they have built at Tennessee.”

He committed to Auburn for a reason, but has been willing to listen to other schools and take visits. What is the main reason that Tennessee has caught his eye?

“Just the coaches and coach Chop,” Harris said. “He really stands out. He is a great guy.“

Levorn Harbin has developed into quite the asset for Tennessee. He resonates with recruits and builds strong bonds with everyone involved.

“He is a great coach and I feel like he can really help me with my game. Just being able to develop me. Just working on the run and stopping the run.”

He and his family also got to spend time with head coach Josh Heupel on Saturday.

“He a good coach,” Harris said. “He got close with my family today. I like him.“

And having the thoughts, approval and backup of his family is certainly something he wants and leans on.

“I would say that’s one of the biggest things,” Harris said. “To have them signed off. They liked it and I liked it.”

One of the main reasons that he got back to Tennessee for the first time in two years is how Tennessee has been recruiting him. They have been talking to him every day and that stood out enough to push him to want to take another look. The plan going forward is to visit Auburn next weekend, but to continue to look at schools and take more visits. 

“Just keep visiting schools and seeing what I like,” Harris said.

And what exactly is he looking for?

“Really that family environment and the fan base,” Harris said. “And to have coaches that I know are going to be able to develop me.”

Tennessee would like to add multiple edge pass rushers in the 2026 class.

There is one item on the Tennessee Titans’ to-do list this offseason that stands out among all the rest. Obviously, that item is finding a new starting quarterback for the 2025 season.

After a brutal year of quarterback production in 2024, the Titans are a near lock to bring in a new signal caller. Whether they use the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on a quarterback, sign one in free agency, or look to pull off a trade, a new starter is almost certain to be under center in Tennessee.

Most of the talk about the Titans landing a quarterback has surrounded the draft. Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward have been talked about constantly since Tennessee landed the top pick.

However, the rumors surrounding free agents like Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers have been loud as well.

With that being said, a new projection has come out that has the Titans signing Darnold in free agency.

Matt Johnson of SportsNaut had Tennessee signing Darnold as one of his 15 predictions for the offseason.

“A return to the Minnesota Vikings now seems out of the question. The Las Vegas Raiders might also be an option, but it’s hard to believe they would see Tom Brady as a franchise savior. Instead, Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan rolls the dice with his job on the line in 2025,” Johnson wrote.

“Tennesee has already demonstrated that it is willing to spend big in NFL free agency, even if it isn’t in the team’s best long-term interest for building a team. Darnold provides stability and if Tennessee uses its first-round pick on a right tackle, the Titans offensive line could be good enough for Darnold to succeed on a three-year deal.”

Darnold put together a monstrous 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings. He ended up playing all 17 games, completing 66.2 percent of his pass attempts for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also picked up 212 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

At 27 years old, Darnold is still young enough to be a long-term quarterback. He will turn 28 before the 2025 season kicks off, but the Titans would still have their long-term signal caller if they sign him.

Many are split with their opinions about Darnold. Some think that he was a product of playing with the Vikings and having an elite supporting cast. Others think that Darnold is the real deal.

It would be a risk to sign Darnold, but so would drafting a quarterback.

Expect to hear a ton of rumors and specluation about Tennessee and its quarterback situation as the offseason gets going. Darnold is a name to keep a very close eye on.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!