Ole Miss Basketball Loses Final Regular Season Game Versus Vanderbilt

The Ole Miss Rebels fall to the Vanderbilt Commodores at home in a tough 63-61 loss.

The Ole Miss men's basketball team closed out the regular season Saturday night against the Vanderbilt Commodores and lost a close game 63-61 in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion.

The Rebels finished the first half with a 33-26 lead over the Commodores. Junior guard Austin Crowley led Ole Miss in scoring in the first half with 11 points.

Ole Miss finished the first half shooting 50 percent from the field and 25 percent from the free-throw line. 

The second half was more of a fight for Ole Miss, however, as Vanderbilt secured a seven-point lead with four and a half minutes remaining in the game. The Commodore comeback was led by Junior guard Scotty Pippen Jr. who recorded 22 points, six assists, and four rebounds.

In the final minutes, Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell single-handedly brought the Rebels within two points of the Commodores, but it was not enough to get the win. The sophomore out of Memphis, Tenn., led the Rebels in scoring on Saturday, putting up 15 points and two rebounds against Vanderbilt.

Off the bench, Crowley also tied Murrell with a 15-point performance.

"Give Vanderbilt credit," Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis said. "They did a great job contesting shots. Scotty Pippen is first-team all-league, he made some plays down the stretch. Tough loss for us at home."

After his final home game as an Ole Miss Rebel, center Nysier Brooks explained how much Ole Miss has meant to him since he arrived as a transfer from Miami last spring.

"This program has made me see the more fundamental things that I need to do," Brooks said. "The Ole Miss family has done nothing but push me to be a better me, I really love and respect that."

Brooks recorded 12 points, five rebounds, and one block in his final game at Ole Miss.

Ole Miss finishes the regular season with a 13-18 record and will play in round one of the SEC Tournament starting on Wednesday, March 9. The Rebels will be taking on the Missouri Tigers in game one at 5 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on SEC Network.

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