Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Stuns No. 5 Vanderbilt Behind McMahon, Iwuala
Led by an outstanding game from Cotie McMahon and Christeen Iwuala, the Ole Miss women’s basketball team beat the fifth-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores 83-75 Friday afternoon at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
No. 17 Ole Miss takes down No. 5 Vanderbilt, 83-75! Hotty Toddy! pic.twitter.com/CUppjyhu2k
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) January 30, 2026
McMahon and Iwuala dominated the game with McMahon leading the way, scoring 27 points. She shot 50 percent from the field, going 8-16, and made 11 of her 12 free throws, as she lived at the free throw line. Iwuala was the engine behind the Rebels (18-4, 5-2 SEC), with an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double.
Iwuala scored a majority of her points in the first half, recording 10 and grabbing 10 rebounds, giving her a double-double in the first half, alone. She started the third quarter a tad slowly but notched clutch points late to help seal the game for the Rebels. It was her eighth double-double of the season and tied her highest rebound total for the season.
Another double-double and another great performance from Christeen Iwuala. Her stat line from the win over No. 5 Vandy earns her Rebel Walk Player of the Game honors! pic.twitter.com/4smfn1tyjJ
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) January 30, 2026
As a team, the Ole Miss Rebels stayed in control over a strong Vanderbilt team (20-2, 6-2 SEC), holding a lead for all but three minutes in the game. This game was all Ole Miss throughout as they took the Commodores’ best punch coming out of halftime and kept playing their way.
The first half was as good as it could get for the Rebels, as they dominated the game. Aside from Mikayla Blakes’ 14 points, there were only three other Commodores who scored points, all in single digits for the half. The Ole Miss defense held Vanderbilt to 25 points in the first half on 35 percent shooting from the field.
The Rebel offense, on the other end, was on fire, as they had two players, Iwuala with 10 and McMahon with 15, in double figures. As a team, Ole Miss shot 51 percent from the field and made both of the threes they attempted in the first half. Head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s team went into halftime with a dominant 44-25 lead, looking very much in control of the game.
Coming out of the half, Vanderbilt started off very strong, as they scored 26 points, while the Rebel offense stalled in the third quarter, only scoring 16. The Ole Miss offense shot almost 38 percent from the field during the third, while Vanderbilt shot just under 65 percent from the field.
After an eerie third quarter for the Rebels, all eyes turned to the fourth, with a surging Vanderbilt versus a struggling Ole Miss team. The fourth quarter became very physical as neither team found any easy baskets. The Rebels’ offense started to heat up, however, as they shot almost 62 percent from the field in the fourth quarter. McMahon led the way in the fourth, scoring eight points, but it was a clutch rebound and made basket from Iwuala that helped seal the game for Ole Miss. After a short late push from the Commodores, the Rebels held on to win, 83-75.
In what is undoubtedly a signature win for Coach McPhee-McCuin’s squad this season, she and her team have set themselves up very nicely to be a very big contender come tournament time. The grit this team showed in not letting a surging Vanderbilt get to them in the closing minutes of the game should provide serious dividends as the season progresses.
An interesting stat from the game: Ole Miss forced Vanderbilt to turn the ball over on 25 percent of their possessions, with 19 turnovers total.
The Rebels will stay in Birmingham as they will play the Auburn Tigers in Legacy Arena on Monday, February 2 at 6 p.m. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+
Luke Dunavant
Luke Dunavant is a junior at the University of Mississippi, majoring in Journalism, with an emphasis in Sports Media and a minor in Sports Management. He is originally from Hernando, Mississippi, and graduated high school from Magnolia Heights. His favorite sports are basketball, football, and soccer. Growing up, he played baseball, football, and soccer at different points, immersing himself in the world of sports. He tries to always bring the same passion he had playing sports into covering them.
