Vanderbilt Commodores Hang On To Defeat Ole Miss Rebels
This was almost a game the Vanderbilt Commodores almost gave away. Vanderbilt had a once-insurmountable lead of 19 points in the first half, but was lucky to escape with a thrilling 77-72 victory over the Mississippi Rebels.
The Rebels would not give up. They kept chipping away at the lead and even took the lead in the second half, but could not hold it. Ole Miss was led by Malik Dia who had 22 points to lead the Rebels.
Chris Manon was the high scorer for Vanderbilt as he finished with 16 points and seven total rebounds. Jason Edwards chimed in with 15 points, while Tyler Nickel added 13.
Vanderbilt almost kissed the game away and coach Mark Byington was pleased to leave with the victory.
"Our guys have been fighing all year," Byington said of his team that lost four of six coming in. "We are competing every game. To get a win is special, especially against a great team before a great crowd."
Byington heaped praise on Manon and said he willed the team to victory..
"We got back in the game because of Chris Manon," Byington said. "He kept making plays and we needed every single one of them."
Byington said it is great to win on the road in the SEC as there are no easy road wins in the south.
"Every win is great in this league, especially on the road," Byington said.
The Commodores are considered a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament. They need every win they can get.
"We are just trying to go 1-0 every game. It's hard to ignore when its in your face every day," Byington said. "We are just looking at every game as a must win."
Vanderbilt On SI
Scott Salomon covers the Vanderbilt Commodores On SI and the Boston College Eagles On SI. He also serves as a writer for the New York Yankees on SI as well as many other MLB teams, the NCAA’s Clemson Tigers, Tulane Green Wave, the Armed Forces institutions for On SI, and serves as a regular contributor to On SI’s Name-Image-Likeness site. Scott is based in South Florida and has been covering local and national sports for over 35 years. He joined On SI in April 2024 covering breaking news and analysis for Miami Dolphins On SI.