Blakes Leads No. 2 Vanderbilt Past Illinois Into First Sweet 16 Since 2009

The result highlights a resurgence driven by defense, depth, with the nation’s leading scorer at its core.

Overview

Vanderbilt, which beat Illinois 75-57 on Monday in Nashville, advanced to the Sweet 16 and moved to 29-4.
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes nearly posted a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a performance that controlled the game.
The Commodores’ defense held Illinois to 29.6% shooting, limiting a team that had been among the nation’s better shooting groups this season.
No. 6 seed Notre Dame awaits in the Fort Worth 1 Region on Friday in Vanderbilt’s 15th regional semifinal all-time.
Illinois, the youngest team in the tournament, finished 22-12 and saw its Sweet 16 drought continue from its last appearance in 1998.