Gamer: Ole Miss men’s basketball defeats Vanderbilt, 69-56, makes history in SJB Pavilion
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss picked up its second SEC win of the season, a 69-56 win over Vanderbilt Saturday, and made history in the SJB Pavilion at the same time.
For the first time in the history of the building, which was opened in 2016, the Rebels (15-1, 2-1 SEC) have gone on a 10-game win streak at home. That’s the first time that has happened in either men’s or women’s play.
🔟#HottyToddy | #BuildTheCulture pic.twitter.com/a1ZoHTrSXp
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) January 13, 2024
“We have a home-court advantage here in Oxford,” head coach Chris Beard said following the contest.
Let’s look at how the Rebs found their success against the Commodores.
First Half:
Ole Miss set the tone the second the ball hit the hardwood. Right out of the gate, Vanderbilt found itself down 17-10, with leading scorer Matt Murrell having notched seven of those 17 points.
Soon after, with six minutes left on the clock, Vandy took its first lead of the game when Jason Rivera-Torres nailed a three to put the Commodores ahead 23-22. The very next play, however, Ole Miss re-gained the lead and kept it until the clock hit zero.
Going into halftime, the Rebs were up 41-32, shooting 57 percent from the field and 58 percent from three, with one player making plenty more shots than the rest. That player was Matt Murrell, who closed out the half with 18 points, 12 of them coming from threes.
Make it 1️⃣8️⃣ 🔥@matt_murre11 is 4-of-5 from behind the arc in the first half!#HottyToddy | #BuildTheCulture https://t.co/57CqrWC5XT pic.twitter.com/QwWTOkWzAY
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) January 13, 2024
Allen Flanigan finished the half with eight assists and a three-pointer of his own.
Second Half:
The game remained at a similar pace going into half number two but got a little close for comfort when Vandy brought it within three points with eight minutes to go in the game. Fortunately, Jaylen Murray and Matt Murrell both drained threes on back-to-back drives for the Rebs to increase Ole Miss’ lead back to nine. From that point forward, the Rebels only allowed the Commodores to score four points until the conclusion of the game.
Offensive board from @Jaammaarion and a DIME to @matt_murre11 who knocks down another 3️⃣!#HottyToddy | #BuildTheCulture pic.twitter.com/Vj4UklhHy4
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) January 13, 2024
The team physicality of Coach Beard’s group once again played a crucial role in putting the game away. Ole Miss out-rebounded Vanderbilt 42-33, passed eight more assists, and shot nearly 20 percent better from the three-point line.
It’s become clear that this team needs to shoot 40 percent or better from beyond the arc to be at its best, something that was not accomplished last week against Tennessee.
By the numbers
Ole Miss was led in scoring by Murrell who finished with 24 points. Also scoring in double digits for the Rebels were Flanigan with 16 and Jaylen Murray with 12. Ole Miss shot 41 percent from the field and 40 from three compared to percentages of 38 and 22 from Vanderbilt, respectively.
Next Up:
Heading into next week, the Rebs will compete in two consecutive road games against LSU on Wednesday and Auburn on Saturday.
For previews, recaps, stats, and more, stay tuned to The Rebel Walk. Hotty Toddy!
Zach Moreth
Zach is a freshman at Ole Miss and is studying Sports Administration. Outside of watching and playing sports, he enjoys spending time with his loved ones and being active. I’m excited to help cover our amazing Ole Miss sports teams!
