No. 18 Vanderbilt stayed in control from start to finish Saturday, earning its third straight wire-to-wire victory with a 71–68 win over Ole Miss at Memorial Gymnasium.
The Commodores (19–3, 6–3 SEC) fended off multiple Rebel rallies to secure their third consecutive win, continuing their strong run through conference play.
Tyler Tanner led all scorers with 24 points, marking his eighth 20-plus performance of the season. AK Okereke added 17 points, tying his season high, and delivered in the biggest moments down the stretch.
Vanderbilt never trailed in the first half, capitalizing on Ole Miss mistakes and scoring 12 points off nine Rebel turnovers. A Tyler Harris fast-break dunk pushed the lead to 13 with under six minutes remaining before halftime. Ole Miss answered with an 8–0 run, but the Dores closed the half strong to take a 31–23 lead into the locker room.
The Rebels came out aggressive after the break, cutting the deficit to three early in the second half. Vanderbilt responded with an 11–3 run to regain control. Ole Miss again made it a two-point game with just over three minutes remaining, but clutch free throws from Jalen Washington and a timely three from Mike James stretched the lead back to seven. James finished with nine points and nine rebounds.
Ole Miss had one final push, knocking down a three-pointer with 45 seconds left to make it a one-possession game. Okereke calmly sank one of two free throws with 15.9 seconds remaining, giving Vanderbilt a 71–68 edge. The Rebels had two chances to tie it at the buzzer, but both attempts fell short.
The teams finished even on the glass. Ole Miss committed 17 turnovers and shot 42.3 percent from the field, while Vanderbilt shot 43.6 percent. Malik Dia and AJ Storr led the Rebels with 16 points each, while Ilias Karmadine added 14.
Vanderbilt will enjoy a week off before returning to Memorial Gymnasium to face Oklahoma on February 7.
