No. 18 Vanderbilt Survives Late Scare to Beat Ole Miss 68-71

Game moved from Oxford to Nashville due to severe winter weather

Jan. 31, 2026 at 7:55pm

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Tyler Tanner scored 24 points and No. 18 Vanderbilt held on to beat Mississippi 68-71 on Saturday at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville. The game was originally scheduled to be played in Oxford, Mississippi, but was moved due to the university closing its campus because of severe winter weather this week.

Why it matters

This game was an important SEC matchup between two teams looking to improve their conference standings. The last-minute venue change due to the weather disruption added an extra layer of drama and uncertainty to the game.

The details

Vanderbilt was still without its second-leading scorer, Duke Miles, but got a big performance from Tyler Tanner, who scored 24 points. AK Okereke also had 17 points for the Commodores. For Ole Miss, Malik Dia and AJ Storr each scored 16 points, and the Rebels were able to pull within 3 points in the final seconds.

  • The game was originally scheduled to be played in Oxford, Mississippi on January 31, 2026.
  • Due to severe winter weather this week, the game was moved to Nashville and played at Memorial Gymnasium on January 31, 2026.
  • Ole Miss and Vanderbilt will now play in Oxford on March 4, 2026.

The players

Tyler Tanner

A Vanderbilt guard who scored 24 points in the game.

AK Okereke

A Vanderbilt forward who scored 17 points and made 11 of 13 free throws.

Malik Dia

An Ole Miss forward who scored 16 points.

AJ Storr

An Ole Miss guard who scored 16 points.

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What’s next

Ole Miss will travel to Tennessee on Tuesday, February 4, 2026, while Vanderbilt will host Oklahoma on February 7, 2026.

The takeaway

This game showcased the challenges teams can face when severe weather disrupts the regular schedule, forcing last-minute venue changes and rescheduling. Both Vanderbilt and Ole Miss demonstrated resilience in adapting to the unexpected circumstances and delivering an exciting conference matchup.