Ole Miss men’s basketball team was supposed to play Saturday night’s game against No. 15 Vanderbilt in Oxford. Instead it was played in Nashville as the Oxford area continues to recuperate from Winter Storm Fern.
The Rebels were lucky they didn’t have a game scheduled this week, avoiding that level of disruption. But it still had to face a talented Commodores team that was one of the last undefeated teams in the nation.
It came down to a last-second, last-ditch three-point shot, but Ole Miss fell short 71-68. Here’s how it happened.
First Half Reaction
Ole Miss coach Chris Beard either is still working to find his best starting lineup or was trying to make a statement.
The Rebels had their eighth different starting lineup this season and started Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt with its two leading scorers on the bench.
Malik Dia and AJ Storr still recorded 12 and 15 minutes of playing time, but the lineup wasn’t the problem.
Ole Miss came out ice cold (pun unintended) from the floor and found itself trailing by double digits early on. The Rebels would end the first half down by eight points after shooting just 38.1% from the field, including just one three-pointer.
Dia and Storr were the only Rebels to record more than one field goal and Storr was responsible for the lone three-pointer.
Storr for 👌#HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/dmlsSC5PT6
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) January 31, 2026
As is often the case in games like this, turnovers were a problem for Ole Miss. The Commodores forced nine turnovers – six on steals – and scored 12 points off of them.
The Rebels didn’t make it easy for Vanderbilt though. They forced five turnovers themselves but scored just three points as a result.
The score at halftime is still close enough that Ole Miss just needs a run to get ahead of Vanderbilt.
Second Half Reaction
Ole Miss got the run it needed early, going on a 6-0 run to make the score 35-32 four minutes into the half. But then Vanderbilt went on an 8-0 run itself to retake the lead and that’s where the game remained for most of the second half, until the final four minutes when the Rebels got within four points of the Commodores.
Storr made things very interesting with a clutch, nothing-but-net three-pointer with less than a minute that made the score 70-68. Vanderbilt missed its shot on the ensuing possession, but the Rebels tipped the ball out of bounds.
That necessitated Ole Miss to play the foul game and the Commodores made one, extending its lead to three points.
Storr and Dia both had three-point attempts in the final seconds, with Dia’s coming at the buzzer and bouncing off the rim. Had it gone in, it would’ve been an epic moment. Instead, Vanderbilt sends the Rebels home with a 71-68 loss.
Ole Miss Top Performers
- Points: Malik Dia/AJ Storr, 16
- Rebounds: Ilias Kamardine, 5
- Assists: Six players with 1
- Steals: Koren Johnson, 2
- Blocks: Kezza Giffa, 1
Next Up
Ole Miss will stay in the Volunteer State for its next game as it’s scheduled to face Tennessee on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
