Vanderbilt, Arkansas Reach SEC Tournament Final

Commodores defeat Florida, Razorbacks edge Ole Miss in overtime

Mar. 14, 2026 at 11:39pm

In the Southeastern Conference tournament semifinals, No. 22 Vanderbilt earned a 91-74 victory over No. 4 Florida, while No. 17 Arkansas escaped with a 93-90 overtime win against 15th-seeded Ole Miss. The Commodores and Razorbacks will now face off in Sunday's conference final.

Why it matters

The SEC tournament final matchup between Vanderbilt and Arkansas features two highly ranked teams vying for the conference championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Both squads have had impressive runs to reach this point, with Vanderbilt knocking off the top-seeded Gators and Arkansas surviving a tough overtime battle against Ole Miss.

The details

For Vanderbilt, Tyler Tanner led the way with 20 points and 8 assists, while Duke Miles added 15 points and 7 assists. The Commodores shot an impressive 54.5% from the field and 47.6% from 3-point range. Florida was led by Thomas Haugh's 19 points and 9 rebounds, but the Gators couldn't overcome a double-digit deficit for most of the second half. In the other semifinal, Arkansas got 29 points from Meleek Thomas and double-doubles from Trevon Brazile and Malique Ewen to edge Ole Miss in overtime. AJ Storr scored a team-high 24 points for the Rebels, who nearly pulled off the upset.

  • The Southeastern Conference tournament semifinals were played on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

The players

Tyler Tanner

A key player for Vanderbilt, scoring 20 points and dishing out 8 assists in the Commodores' semifinal win.

Duke Miles

Vanderbilt guard who scored 15 points and had 7 assists in the victory over Florida.

Meleek Thomas

Arkansas guard who led the Razorbacks with 29 points in their overtime win against Ole Miss.

Trevon Brazile

Arkansas forward who recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the semifinal victory.

AJ Storr

Ole Miss guard who scored a team-high 24 points in the Rebels' narrow overtime loss to Arkansas.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We must have been locked in from the start. Our guys executed the game plan really well and made big plays when we needed them.”

— Jerry Stackhouse, Vanderbilt Head Coach (The Tennessean)

“I'm proud of the way our team fought back and gave ourselves a chance to win it at the end. We just came up a little short, but this team has a lot to be proud of.”

— Kermit Davis, Ole Miss Head Coach (Oxford Eagle)

What’s next

The Southeastern Conference tournament final between Vanderbilt and Arkansas will be played on Sunday, March 15, 2026.

The takeaway

Both Vanderbilt and Arkansas have proven themselves as elite teams in the SEC this season, and their matchup in the conference tournament final should be an exciting and highly competitive game as they vie for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.