Both the Vanderbilt and Middle Tennessee State women’s basketball teams kicked off the NIT with convincing home wins on Thursday night.

Vanderbilt (15-18) rolled 73-47 over Murray State (22-10), taking down the Racers at Memorial Gymnasum for both Vandy’s first postseason win and first 15-win year since the 2014-15 season.

“It’s so much fun to coach this group,” Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said. “I really, really wanted us to have an opportunity to play in the postseason, so the fact that we got it was exhilarating.”

Senior Jordyn Cambridge, a Nashville native and former Ensworth star, filled up the stat sheet with a career-high 24 points. She also led Vanderbilt in rebounds (nine), assists (six) and steals (five). 

“It meant everything in the world to me,” Cambridge. “This being the first postseason since I’ve been here. I’m just super grateful for my teammates and my coaches for helping us get here. I’m excited for this moment.”

“This [performance] was huge for Jordyn today,” Ralph added. “Not even just this year, today, tomorrow, Monday — this is a huge step for Jordyn Cambridge and her development because all the other things she does are pro-level. Now, if she can start making shots like she made tonight, it’s going to be a problem for other people.”

Iyana Moore, a freshman and Blackman High School alum, added 16 points, five assists, three steals and one block, while fellow freshman Sacha Washington also notched 16 points to go along with six rebounds.

“You saw freshmen Iayana and Sacha in the first half,” Ralph said. “Then you saw the veterans Iyana and Sacha have become a little more in the second half. … Those two have come leaps and bounds, and the great thing about them is they play. I’m putting them in the game and they’re going to have to figure it out. Baptism by fire, and that’s how you get better … and I think that’s how those two have gotten better all year.”

As a team, the Commodores shot 46 percent overall and hit eight of their 18 3-pointers, while holding the Racers to 34 percent from the field. 

Vanderbilt advances to play Liberty (28-4) on Monday at 7 p.m. in Memorial Gymnasium.

Lady Raiders dominate Wofford in NIT opener

Middle Tennessee (24-7) dominated in similar fashion down I-24 at the Murphy Center, cruising to an easy 86-56 win over Wofford (17-14). 

The Lady Raiders took control early, building a quick double-digit lead and never looked back. MTSU held Wofford to just 32 percent shooting while hitting nearly 50 percent of its own shots.

“They played for the Lady Raider fans,” MTSU coach Rick Insell said. “They were excited to see people coming to the game after the boys state tournament. They saw those people filing in, and they were talking about that when they came into the dressing room. So, I knew right then, it was going to be an exciting night."

Five Lady Raiders scored in double-figures including senior Dor Sarr (16), sophomore Kseniya Malashka (15), freshman Anastasiia Boldyreva (15), freshman Jalynn Gregory (15) and junior Courtney Whitson (11).

As a team, MTSU shot 33 of 67 (49 percent) from the field, including 12 of 31 from 3. Meanwhile, they held the Terriers to 17-53 shooting overall (32 percent). 

Next up for Middle Tennessee will be Wake Forest (16-16). They will face the Demon Deacons on Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Murphy Center. 

If both Vanderbilt and Middle Tennessee win on Monday, the two teams will face off in Round 3 with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.