Ole Miss Falls Short Against No. 15 Vanderbilt in Tight 71-68 Loss

The Rebels came within one shot of upsetting the Commodores but couldn't complete the comeback.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 7:31pm

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Ole Miss men's basketball team came up just short in their upset bid against No. 15 Vanderbilt, falling 71-68 in a close game that came down to the final seconds. The Rebels trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half but fought back to make it a one-possession game late, with a clutch 3-pointer from AJ Storr cutting the deficit to 2 with under a minute left. However, Ole Miss couldn't convert on their final shots and Vanderbilt held on for the narrow victory.

Why it matters

This loss is a tough one for Ole Miss, as they had a chance to pull off a big upset over a ranked opponent on the road. While they ultimately came up short, the Rebels showed they can compete with top teams in the SEC and will look to build on this performance going forward.

The details

Ole Miss struggled shooting the ball in the first half, making just 38.1% of their shots and hitting only one 3-pointer. Vanderbilt took advantage, forcing 9 turnovers and scoring 12 points off them to build a 8-point halftime lead. The Rebels battled back in the second half, going on a 6-0 run early to get within 3 points. But Vanderbilt responded with an 8-0 run to regain control. Ole Miss made it interesting late, with Storr's 3-pointer cutting the deficit to 2 with under a minute left, but they couldn't convert on their final shots to complete the comeback.

  • The game was played on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
  • Ole Miss trailed by 8 points at halftime.

The players

Chris Beard

The head coach of the Ole Miss men's basketball team.

Malik Dia

A player for Ole Miss who scored 16 points in the game.

AJ Storr

A player for Ole Miss who scored 16 points, including a clutch 3-pointer late in the game.

Ilias Kamardine

An Ole Miss player who led the team with 5 rebounds.

Koren Johnson

An Ole Miss player who had 2 steals in the game.

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What they’re saying

“Storr for 👌”

— Ole Miss Men's Basketball, Twitter account (Twitter)

What’s next

Ole Miss will look to bounce back in their next game, which is scheduled for Tuesday against Tennessee. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN2.

The takeaway

While Ole Miss came up short in their upset bid, this close loss to a ranked opponent shows the Rebels can compete with the top teams in the SEC. They will look to build on this performance and continue to improve as the season progresses.