Ole Miss Upsets Vanderbilt 89-78
No. 24 Ole Miss built a 32-point lead and held on to upset No. 5 Vanderbilt 89-78 in the SEC Tournament. The Rebels withstood a furious second-half rally to advance, positioning themselves as a potential March Madness dark horse.
The victory marks Ole Miss' seventh consecutive win over Vanderbilt, a streak dating back to 2022. This was, however, the first time the Rebels have ever defeated the Commodores in the SEC Tournament. The win extends Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin's undefeated record against Vanderbilt's head coach Shea Ralph to 6-0. Latasha Lattimore and Cotie McMahon led the offensive charge for the Rebels with 28 and 27 points, respectively. Lattimore's performance was particularly efficient, shooting 92.3% from the field, the third-highest field goal percentage in an SEC Tournament game. McMahon, in addition to her scoring, set a season-high with seven assists and tied an SEC Tournament record with 15 made free throws. The Rebels' defense was stifling in the first half, holding Vanderbilt to just 1-of-15 shooting in the first quarter and building a 23-2 lead. Vanderbilt's star player, Mikayla Blakes, who entered the game averaging over 30 points in conference play, missed her first 12 shots and didn't score a field goal until late in the third quarter. Despite the lopsided start, Vanderbilt mounted a furious comeback, outscoring Ole Miss 37-24 in the fourth quarter to cut the 32-point lead down to just nine. The rally was fueled in part by the ejection of Vanderbilt's coach, Shea Ralph, with over nine minutes remaining after she argued a foul call. This win marks a significant achievement for the Ole Miss program, as it is the first time in school history they have defeated three top-five opponents in a single season. The last time the Rebels beat three top-10 opponents was during the 2006-07 season. With this victory, Ole Miss advances to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the fourth time in five years. The win also improves their overall record to 23-10. The Rebels will face either No. 4 Texas or Alabama in the next round as they continue to build their case for a strong seeding in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
