No. 17 Mississippi Women's Basketball Defeats No. 5 Vanderbilt 83-75

Cotie McMahon's 27 points lead the Rebels to victory over the Commodores in Birmingham.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 6:07pm

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The No. 17 ranked Mississippi women's basketball team defeated the No. 5 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores by a score of 83-75 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Cotie McMahon led the Rebels with 27 points, while Christeen Iwuala added 18 points and 14 rebounds.

Why it matters

This was a key SEC matchup between two highly ranked women's basketball programs. The win for Mississippi boosts their resume and NCAA Tournament prospects, while the loss is a setback for Vanderbilt as they look to secure a top seed.

The details

The game was originally scheduled for Thursday night on the Ole Miss campus, but was moved to Birmingham due to inclement weather. Mississippi used a balanced scoring attack and strong rebounding to overcome Vanderbilt, who were led by their star player Cierra Burdick's 22 points.

  • The game was played on January 30, 2026.
  • The game was originally scheduled for Thursday night on the Ole Miss campus, but was moved to Birmingham due to inclement weather.

The players

Cotie McMahon

A key player for the No. 17 ranked Mississippi women's basketball team, scoring 27 points in the win over Vanderbilt.

Christeen Iwuala

Contributed 18 points and 14 rebounds for Mississippi in the victory.

Cierra Burdick

The star player for No. 5 ranked Vanderbilt, scoring a team-high 22 points in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“We knew this was going to be a tough game against a very talented Vanderbilt team, but our players stepped up and made the plays we needed to get the win.”

— Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Head Coach, Mississippi Women's Basketball

What’s next

Mississippi will look to build on this signature win as they continue SEC play, while Vanderbilt will try to rebound from the loss as they push for a high NCAA Tournament seed.

The takeaway

This was an impressive victory for the No. 17 ranked Mississippi women's basketball team, who proved they can compete with and defeat top-5 opponents like Vanderbilt. The Rebels' balanced scoring attack and strong rebounding were keys to the win.