The Ole Miss men’s basketball team continued conference play on Saturday, cementing a record 10 straight wins in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion with a 69-56 victory over Vanderbilt.
A dominant offensive showing from senior guard Matthew Murrell catapulted the Rebels (15-1, 2-1 SEC) to a consecutive double-digit victory against an SEC foe. Murrell joined former Ole Miss great Stephon Moody as a single-game three-point record holder with the Memphis native knocking down six triples.
Ole Miss opened up the contest on a quick 7-2 run that Vanderbilt promptly answered. Both teams exchanged blows and the Rebels managed a small lead up until the 6:04 mark of the first half when Vanderbilt’s Jason Rivera-Torres hit a three and flipped the scoreboard to post a 23-22 Commodore advantage.
Fueled by a strong nine-point surge from Murrell, the Rebels closed out the half on a 19-9 run to hold a 41-32 lead at the intermission. Murrell had nearly half of the team’s first-half points with 18.
Both teams began the second half stagnant offensively with only nine total points being scored in the first five minutes. Auburn transfer Allen Flanigan took it upon himself to end the Rebels’ offensive inertia and scored the team’s next seven points to give Ole Miss a 53-39 lead.
Just when it seemed like Ole Miss was going to pull away and bury the Commodores early in the second half, Vanderbilt stormed back, going on a 13-2 run to cut their deficit to three with just under 10 minutes left in the game.
Nonetheless, the Rebels never relinquished their lead and went on a 14-3 run in the last eight minutes of action to secure the win.
In year one of the Chris Beard era, the Rebels have made it their mission to defend home court and bring more enthusiasm for Ole Miss basketball to Oxford to give the team a competitive advantage over rivals.
“We have a home court in advantage in Oxford now,” Beard said. “The main message is thank you for all the people who are jumping on early — not just today.”
Murrell with 24 points led a trio of Rebels with double-digits in scoring. Allen Flanigan had 16 points and Jaylen Murray scored 12.
Ole Miss outrebounded its opponent for the first time since beginning SEC play. The Rebels secured 42 boards, with 7-foot-5 center Jamarion Sharp hauling in eight of them, compared to Vanderbilt’s 33 rebounds.
Another key advantage for the Rebels in the weekend showdown was three-point shooting. Ole Miss was 10 for 25 or 40% from beyond the arc, whereas Vanderbilt went 4 for 18 or 22%.
Next up for Ole Miss is a Wednesday night game at LSU. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
