After a seven day break for Christmas, the Commodores came back to Memorial Gym on Sunday for its final non-conference game of the season. Not only was this a chance for Vanderbilt to get its 13th win of the season, but it was also an opportunity for the Commodores to end non-conference play on a high note and go into SEC play with as much momentum as ever.

It wasn't always pretty and it definitely wasn't perfect, but Shea Ralph and her team were able to do just that against a scrappy Alabama A&M team, knocking off the Bulldogs 93-64.

Vanderbilt looked sluggish at times, but responded how you'd hope they would

The first half was a chaotic one for the Commodores. It was a half of runs mired by inconsistent stretches and spotty shooting, but it also saw Vanderbilt respond well to moments of challenge and continue to wreak havoc on the defensive end.

Though the Bulldogs were able to cut the lead to single-digits on a couple of occasions, including cutting the lead all the way to four points early in the second quarter and forcing coach Shea Ralph to call a timeout, Vanderbilt was able to respond to every Bulldogs run with a run of their own; holding serve until the Commodores could slowly but surely widen the gap as the game would go on.

Despite Vanderbilt going just 1/11 from three and 6/11 from the free throw line, the Commodores converted well around the rim and even forced eight Alabama A&M turnovers in the half, with all of them being directly from steals.

When talking about the game differing runs and what she felt contributed to it, Ralph said that she felt that the difference was from a mix of both effort and execution.

"Both. I think most of the time it was execution, making sure that we rotate the right way. But then wonder, is that like that we don't know? Because that can't be right. Or is it that, we just took a little break, took a little mental break for the moment. So it's probably a little bit of both and making sure that we stay locked in and that we know exactly what we're supposed to do is on me. That's my job. So I'm going to make sure that we keep putting in those of them in those positions to get better every day."

Khamil Pierre and Madison Greene (more on her later) also were major factors in the Commodores' response, as the sophomore duo combined for 28 points and were 12/17 from the field during the first half.

Consistent effort has been a major talking point for Ralph this season about her team, and though there were still some spurts that she didn't like, she does feel that she has seen her team improve in this area throughout the season.

" I think overall, um, there's a big improvement," Ralph said after the win. " We're starting to be more comfortable, but it does ebb and flow.It doesn't usually ebb and flow with the whole group. There's one or two, you know, and it's always the one or two that will do it. And then because the whole group needs them to not do it, it impacts our level of success, right? So, instead of winning by 50, we win by 30 where we didn't put our foot on their neck in certain moments, or they make three threes in a row, or a couple layups in transition."

Can Madison Greene be another consistent scorer with Pierre and Blakes?

Everyone around the country knows that Khamil Pierre and Mikayla Blakes are one of the best duos in the country. They both rank Top 20 nationally in scoring and could both have a case to be All-Americans at the season's end. However there's still the feeling that the Commodores need that consistent third scoring piece.

On a day where both Mikayla Blakes struggled with only 5 points and going 2/9 from the field and Vanderbilt at times struggled to find its offensive rhythm outside of Khamil Pierre, Greene was able to step up again in a major way, posting 12 points on 5/7 shooting while also grabbing six rebounds. It's the seventh time this season that Greene has reached double-digit scoring off the bench.

Everyone around the country knows that Khamil Pierre and Mikayla Blakes are one of the best duos in the country. They both rank Top 20 nationally in scoring and could both have a case to be All-Americans at the season's end. However at times, there's still been the feeling that the Commodores need that another consistent scoring option outside of their two stars.

We know what Iyana Moore can do as an All-SEC selection, and she's begun to find her rhythm over the last few weeks after a slow start to the season, but the consistency and efficiency hasn't always been there during the non-conference stretch, and if she happens to struggle, it then opens the need for another scorer to step up alongside Pierre and Blakes.

With SEC play right around the corner and Greene playing some of the best basketball of her young Vanderbilt career and has been one of their most consistent players since November, there's a possibility that she could very well be the answer to the Commodores finding that third consistent scorer in the lineup that Vanderbilt needs, especially in a role as a scorer off the bench.

In a tough SEC that demands consistency and toughness, it'll be a welcome sight for a Commodores team that has big expectations and plenty of competition.

Shea Ralph has figured out her rotation heading into SEC play

Speaking of conference play being around the corner, this is the time of year where you see most coaches really hone in their rotation after weeks of tinkering and experimenting. We've seen Shea Ralph be willing to do that over the non-conference slate, and it seems now with the new year and the SEC schedule approaching, the Commodores have narrowed down their rotation.

The starting five of Mikayla Blakes, Iyana Moore, Jordyn Oliver, Jane Nwaba and Khamil Pierre is now 8-0 so far this season, and based on the minutes registered over the last few games, it seems that Madison Greene, Leilani Kapinus and Aiyana Mitchell are the primary options for Vanderbilt off the bench.

Though nothing is ever truly set in stone, it seems that this is the top eight in Vanderbilt's rotation to begin conference play. With Coach Ralph even saying herself after the game that she feels comfortable about where Vanderbilt's rotation is at.

"I feel like we're in a good place," Ralph said after the game. "I feel like I know exactly where to go if I need something while also knowing that that could change, right?"

This doesn't mean that Ralph can't go deeper in the rotation however, as Justine Pissott was a key contributor for this team last season while starting 28 game for the Commodores and Aga Makurat had her best game of the non-conference slate, putting up 8 points and going 3/4 from the field and 2/3 from three in just seven minutes of action.

Having a plethora of players that can step in and contribute is a great problem to have, and it's one that Ralph feels is a benefit in a game where anything can happen.

"As we continue practicing, making sure that I keep the door open because at any given moment in practice or in a game, someone can turn their ankle, someone can come down with the flu. And so as we solidify our rotation, top eight, nine kids, those other kids that exist on the bench can also play, and making sure that they know that and we continue to give them the reps necessary so that if that's something that they need to do for a long period of time, they're ready to do it."

Vanderbilt (13-1) will begin SEC play on Thursday at home against Georgia (8-6), with tip-off scheduled for 6:30pm CT.