Ole Miss losing streak extends to five games with 74-71 loss to Vanderbilt
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss men’s basketball team dropped its fifth straight game Saturday afternoon in a 74-71 loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville, TN.
The loss was the Rebels’ 11th loss in their last 12 games, and the Rebels now sit a 1-9 in SEC play. They have not won on the road since its last win overall against South Carolina on January 17th. The win for Vanderbilt snapped a three-game losing streak in the conference.
The Rebels were down one with 4:26 to go, but an ensuing 10-0 run from the Commodores virtually put the game away. Ole Miss made a furious comeback in the last minute, including getting two-straight threes from forward Robert Allen and guard Amaree Abram, but they ran out of time.
Head coach Kermit Davis said defensive breakdowns and missing easy shots lead to the Commodores’ run to end the game.
“We just have these two-minute lapses, and we had them tonight. We had some breakdowns defensively. We could not defensively rebound the ball. Give Vanderbilt credit. They made some shots and plays.”
Head coach Kermit Davis postgame
Overall, the game was there for the taking for the Rebels. There were nine ties and twenty lead changes throughout the game, but Ole Miss was only able to lead for a mere 6:27 of game time.
Three Rebels finished in double-figures, with forward Jaemyn Brakefield leading the pack with 15 points. He also rounded out a double-double with 12 rebounds. Forward Myles Burns tacked-on 12 points and grabbed eight boards. Guard Matthew Murrell scored 10 points on 4-15 shooting in his first game back from his MCL injury.
Davis was proud of Murrell’s performance in his first game since January 21st against Arkansas.
“I thought Matt looked from a health standpoint,” Davis said. “[He] had a little rust on him after a couple of weeks. Hopefully, he will get his footing back. Down the stretch, we are going to need Matt.”
Coach Kermit Davis on Matt Murrell
Vanderbilt had two players record double-doubles, with center Liam Robbins scoring 19 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, and guard Tyrin Lawrence scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 boards.
Davis said his team struggled at the five-spot, which helped Robbins notch his double-double and caused the Rebels to miss shots close to the basket. Starter Robert Allen and Theo Akwuba combined for 13 points and 7 rebounds.
Overall, Davis liked the shots that his team got, but not enough of them fell. Even though the Rebels made ten three-pointers, they finished the game 36% from the field.
“I thought we got the ball right around the goal [many] times. I thought we got great shots throughout the game. Great, great shots. Vanderbilt capitalized on the shots they had. We didn’t.”
Coach Davis
Up Next
The Rebels (9-14, 1-9 SEC) will look to end their losing streak on the road in Athens Tuesday night against the Georgia Bulldogs. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.
Trevor Terminie
Trevor is a senior at Ole Miss pursuing a degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Sports Communication and Promotion. He has previous experience covering sports for another site, including a variety of Ole Miss sports. Growing up in New Orleans, La., he has the Pelicans and Saints running through his blood. He also grew up in an LSU family, but his love for Ole Miss continues to grow. Trevor hopes to cover sports back in his hometown after college. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
