Mikayla Blakes timed her jump perfectly, caught the rebound in front of the rim and put the ball in with 0.8 seconds left. Moments later, she celebrated Vanderbilt’s first win over rival Tennessee since 2019.
Then something funny happened.
“After the handshake line, I was like, ‘Who’s that bald guy on the court? ‘I swear I’ve ever seen a reaction like this,’ she said of the passionate Vanderbilt fans who stormed the court. “I was like, ‘Who is this guy? I know him.’
“And then you get closer and you go, ‘Wow. My father just went to court. Where did he come from?’”
Division II St. Petersburg in Vermont. Monroe Blakes, a former St. Michael’s College player and Hall of Fame member, is generally more reserved by nature. The Blakes are a humble family, and the thought of her father storming the courthouse past the sheriff upset Mikayla. But Monroe couldn’t help herself on Sunday when the Commodores’ freshman phenom hit the game-winner in the biggest moment of her college career.
Just as he couldn’t contain his emotions on Saturday when Mikayla’s older brother, Stanford guard Jaylen Blakes, drove the length of the court and knocked down the game-winning stepback jumper from the left wing at the Dean E. Smith Center. There are 0.9 seconds left in the game against North Carolina.
Over the course of two days, two kids, two buzzer beaters and one delighted dad came to see them in person.
“The word I keep using is ‘amazing.’ blessed.’ And I’m not sure if that’s justified,” Monroe Blakes said. “I started playing basketball when I was 13 and have been playing for over 40 years. … But those two took me to new dimensions and memories I hadn’t experienced in 40 years.
“What are the odds of a brother and sister doing that in succession?”
Proud dad’s face 🥹
Mikayla Blakes and brother Jaylen Blakes both hit game-winning shots within 24 hours of each other.#anchordown https://t.co/jJZZnnXulp pic.twitter.com/mCSB9OxHe1
—Vanderbilt WBB (@VandyWBB) January 19, 2025
MIKAYLA Blakes scores a putback DORES for 1.#anchordown pic.twitter.com/uCXnEgAiXw
—Vanderbilt WBB (@VandyWBB) January 19, 2025
Jaylen was no stranger to playing in the Dean Dome, having spent three years at Duke before transferring to Stanford as a graduate student for his final season. He went 2-1 in three games with Duke in Chapel Hill and dreamed of having his own big moment in one of the sport’s most storied stadiums.
The night before Stanford took the court, Jaylen spent time thinking about former Blue Devils guard Austin Rivers, whose iconic game-winning shot against UNC in 2012 still lives on in Duke lore. He also recalled Wendell Moore’s game-winning putback at the Smith Center in 2020, giving Duke an overtime victory over the Tar Heels.
“This is exactly what I dreamed of,” Jaylen said. “And it was special to be able to be in that moment.”
With Stanford trailing 71-70 with seven seconds left, Jaylen inbounded the ball under the Cardinal’s basket. He got the ball right back and sprinted down the left sideline.
“We had a very good defender in Seth Trimble. So I thought, ‘Okay, he’s going to cut me off.’” Jaylen said. “And as soon as he cut me off, I felt his momentum going back and I decided to step back and take the shot.
“I couldn’t believe it. It was an incredible moment. One important thing about taking that photo is that you are not the only one taking that photo. Everyone supported you on that journey.”
From the stands, Monroe felt as if she was watching a play unfold in slow motion. It took him a few seconds to understand what he had just seen.
“That ball went in. “That ball went in,” he thought. “That person is the winner of the game.”
In Nashville, Mikayla had just finished practice, watched the game on her phone, and headed to Memorial Gymnasium to watch Vanderbilt’s men’s team play Tennessee that afternoon. She missed shots in real time because the stream kept freezing. But when the text messages and phone calls started pouring in, she figured Stanford was going to win and rushed to the locker room to get better service to rewind the feed.
“I was really excited to see him hit the shot.” “He’s a great player,” said Mikayla, a former five-star prospect who leads all freshmen in the nation with 20.2 points per game. “I started to FaceTime my dad and then I started calling my brother because he was already in the locker room. So I was calling my brother and texting him and I was so excited.”
Jaylen and Mikayla Blakes. (Vanderbilt Athletics)
The next day, Monroe flew to Nashville with his wife, Nikkia, for Mikayla’s game. The Blakes, who live in New Jersey, have promised to do everything possible to ensure that at least one of them attends every game their children play. Considering Jaylen and Mikayla play on opposite sides of the country, this is no small feat.
When Vanderbilt lost a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and it became clear the game would be close, one of Blakes’ friends shouted out:
“It was funny. Someone who was with us said to us, ‘What happens if Mikayla hits the game winner?’” Monroe said. “I said, ‘No, I don’t think that can ever happen again. That can’t happen.’”
Back on the California campus, Jaylen watched the entire game from Stanford’s training room while receiving treatment. He too doubted his family would be so lucky on any given weekend.
“I thought, ‘There’s no way we can both win back-to-back games.’ And then it came down to the last play,” he said. “I saw a missed layup and she went after it and made it, and when I found out she made it, I ran around the practice field screaming. ‘Oh, my God.’ “It was special.”
The moment Monroe ran onto the court to celebrate, Jaylen set up FaceTime to have some fun with his parents. Mikayla later learned from her mother that tears came to her father’s eyes at that moment. When Mikayla returned to the locker room, she had six missed calls from Jaylen.
“I got the 7th call.” she said
“I’m so lucky to have her as my sister,” Jaylen added. “I’m lucky to be her big brother.”
This week, Monroe finally responded to about 100 text messages he received as he continued to peak at what Mikayla joked could be the best moment of his life.
From every moment he rebounded for his kids in the yard or helped Nikkia separate the kids when a one-on-one game got too competitive, it was a moment the Blakes family will never forget.
“One of the things I love about my kids is that they are very competitive,” Monroe said. “They compete with each other, but they make each other better because they love each other. It was an amazing dynamic of love and support for each other.
“They are always talking and giving each other tips. After the game, when he hit the winner, she called him and he called her and that’s why I’m so proud. “They put in so much effort and I’m happy for them at that moment.”
(Top photo: Grant Halverson / Getty Images; Andrew Nelles / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
