On Thursday night, Shea Ralph delivered a defining moment for Vanderbilt basketball. The head coach led the No. 5 Commodores to an 89-84 win over Mississippi State, stretching their unbeaten streak to 18 games. The victory moved Vanderbilt to 18-0 to begin the 2025-26 season, the strongest start in the program’s history.

“We have the best start in program history and the longest winning streak,” Ralph stated in her post-game press conference. “Yes. Just honored to be part of that. Honored and blessed to be part of it. We don’t talk about it. They had no idea until after the game because it’s January, and our goals are bigger than a long winning streak. Our goals are championships.”

Ralph noted the milestone afterward while continuing to emphasize what she believes matters most. That mindset has translated directly to results. Vanderbilt’s streak is now the longest in the SEC and the third-longest in Division I. Against Mississippi State, the Commodores played with the composure of a team built for more than regular-season accolades.

Sophomore Mikayla Blakes led the charge with a season-high 38 points, extending her SEC-leading double-digit scoring streak to 37 games, the third-longest in the nation. Vanderbilt made 50% of its shots, 11 three-pointers, and 18 of their 20 free throws. The team made 12 mistakes and got 15 points from them. This execution, especially the 21-6 run in the third quarter that turned a four-point deficit into an eleven-point lead, shows how Ralph has been working to make the team better.

“I hope that from what people see, they see that we’re doing something really special,” she explained. “The cool part for me as the head coach is what our vision was. We have a development plan for each individual. We have a plan for our program, and we have met and exceeded the steps in our plan year by year.”

The foundation that Shea Ralph talks about has made a difference that can be measured. This is the first time since the 1992–93 season that Vanderbilt is 5-0 in SEC play. The Commodores are also one of only three undefeated teams left in Division I. Senior Justine Pissott scored 12 points, making it three games in a row that she scored in double digits. Junior Aiyana Mitchell had her best SEC game off the bench, scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

How Shea Ralph and Vanderbilt’s offense overwhelmed Mississippi State

Mississippi State almost did the unthinkable. The Bulldogs were ahead of fifth-ranked Vanderbilt at home with 2:50 left in the third quarter. Then everything fell apart. The Commodores went on a terrible 14-2 run, and Blake scored seven points during that time. Mississippi State gave up 30 points in that quarter and fumbled the ball seven times. The game was over at the start of the fourth quarter. Vanderbilt was ahead 66-55, and the Bulldogs never got back into it.

Sam Purcell, the coach of Mississippi State, knew exactly what cost his team the game. “To give up 30 (points) was the game breaker with a top-five opponent you had right here at home,” he said.

Purcell didn’t try to hide his own mistakes. “I’ll coach my (expletive) off. I’ll take some ownership. I went with a gimmicky defense because Mikayla Blakes was cooking, and I told them to trust me. They made buckets. Those are on me,” he admitted.

Mississippi State fought hard, but they just couldn’t match the Commodores’ championship-level play. They will have to face seven Top 25 teams in a row, starting with No. 7 Kentucky on January 18.

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