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Florida fell to No.23 Vanderbilt 99-86 Thursday night in Gainesville. This is the Gator’s fourth-straight loss in SEC play and the Commodore’s first win in the O’Dome since 2015.

Vanderbilt’s freshman guard Mikayla Blakes scored 53, breaking the all-time Division I freshman scoring record previously set by USC’s JuJu Watkins.

Both programs had very different weeks heading into this matchup. Florida struggled to hold on to the ball, with 20 plus turnovers in the last three outings against Ole Miss, LSU and Auburn. While Vanderbilt won its last three with upsets against No.18 Tennessee and No.22 Alabama.

The Gators stayed competitive with its fast-paced offense throughout the first quarter. Florida fought with Vanderbilt on the glass, with each squad grabbing 11 boards.

Florida struggled to shoot in the first but found opportunities at the free throw line, hitting 6-of-9.

At the end of the opening quarter, the Commodores led 19-16.

Vanderbilt’s full-court pressure led to Gator turnovers and a 13-0 Commodore run minutes into the second. Florida had 13 mistakes in the first half, resulting in 25 points for Vanderbilt off of the miscues.

Blakes caught fire quickly in the second quarter, shooting 4-of-5 from deep and 6-of-7 from the field, totaling 22 first-half points.

The Gators trailed at the half, 46-26.

The Commodores continued to suffocate Florida at the start of the third.

Iyana Moore shared the spotlight with Blakes throughout this quarter with 11 points. The senior had 22 on the night.

Florida’s Liv McGill started to find her groove by attacking the basket and making it to the charity stripe. McGill had slightly less help in the backcourt tonight without fellow freshman Me’Arah O’Neal who was out due to illness.

The Gators still had a long way to go down 73-56 after three.

When all hope seemed lost, Florida found a spark in the fourth quarter and came out fighting.

“We’re competitors. We’ve had quite a bit of adversity, but I love coaching this team. I love competing with them. We don’t ever turn our backs on each other and we’re relentless and resilient,” said Florida Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley. “As strong women, those are skills you’re going to take for the rest of your life.”

The Gators outscored Vanderbilt 30-27 in the final ten minutes with the help of McGill and Ra Shaya Kyle. The pair dominated the paint and had multiple and-1 opportunities.

Florida was able to cut the lead to single digits at eight with 4:44 remaining.

However, Mikayla Blakes wasn’t done yet.

The Nashville native used crafty takes to draw fouls, keeping the Gators from putting together a consistent run.

Blakes and McGill faced off in a back-and-forth freshman showdown, proving why they are the future of the SEC and women’s basketball.

Although Florida played strong through the final minutes, Vanderbilt ended up on top, 99-86.

The Gators will try and break its losing streak when they battle Arkansas on Monday in Fayetteville. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and will stream on SECN.