Vanderbilt Survives Ole Miss Comeback Behind Tanner and Okereke’s Big Performances
The No. 18 Vanderbilt Commodores have rolled the last couple of games with wins over Mississippi State and Kentucky. Coming into today 18-3, 5-3 SEC, they hosted the Ole Miss Rebels after a relocation due to the Winter Storm Fern impact on Oxford, Miss.
The Dores wasted no time getting out to a hot start, and while Duke Miles is out due to a cleanup surgery earlier this week on his knee, the Commodores were able to get it done again today in his absence. Vanderbilt jumped out to a quick sizable lead of 23-10 just over 10 minutes into the game.
Tyler Tanner put up a quick eight points in the first eight minutes of the game, and with Miles being out, not only does Tanner have to be on, but the whole team as well. Last game against Kentucky, Chandler Bing came up big, and tonight, Mike James came in with some good minutes early to dial up a couple of threes and work on the boards.
Vanderbilt gave Ole Miss all they could handle defensively early on in the first half to jump out to that lead, not allowing the Rebels to run any comfortable offense and forcing nine turnovers in the first 15:50 of the game.
Even with that great defensive effort and the Rebels’ poor shooting, Ole Miss was able to get it to single digits as Vanderbilt went on a bit of a cold spell shooting the ball.
The Commodores weren’t hitting from beyond the arc as they would like, and with several misses in a row, the Rebels climbed back to a small six point deficit before going to half down 31-23. Vanderbilt scored just eight points in the last 9:23 of the first half.
Ole Miss came out after half and cut the Vandy lead to five with a Travis Perry three, then back to back paint conversions from AK Okereke and Tyler Tanner put the Dores back up by nine. AK Okereke was big tonight. He played effective and clean basketball, with little mistakes only committing one foul and one turnover in 32 minutes. That is tough to do.
The Rebels had some fight to try and stay within striking distance, as Malik Dia came out to a better start in the half than he had in the first. The Commodores did a good job of keeping him in check. He put up 16 on the night, but only shot 4-for-11 from the field and 8-for-9 from the free throw line.
Tyler Tanner scored another quick eight in those opening minutes of the second half, and Tyler Harris and Chandler Bing drained big threes as well to keep the Dores in front by a decent amount, as they led 49-40 with 12:07 left to go.
Ole Miss received a great second half push from Ilias Kamardine. He was scoreless at the half and went for 14 points. AJ Storr was also big for the Rebels with 11 second half point to finish with 16. Ole Miss kept this game closer than it should have been in the second half.
Tyler Tanner continued to cook in this one. When Tanner makes the decision to go, there isn’t much you can do to stop him. His shiftiness and ability to score with each hand makes him so hard to guard, and Ole Miss learned that tonight as he finished with 24.
The Commodores were able to punch back whenever the Rebels made a push. This was a battle, and if it weren’t for big contributions from Okereke and James, this game could have slipped the other way.
Speaking of Mike James, he knocked down a huge three with around two minutes to go to push the lead to 70-63 for the Commodores, but the Rebels answered. Even when Tanner and the Dores went up by six or seven, the Rebels would keep answering.
AJ Storr knocked down a big three, his 16th point, for the Rebels with 45 seconds left to make it a 70-68 Vandy lead, but the Commodores were able to survive the fight from Ole Miss, 71-68.
Contributions from James, who finished with nine points and nine rebounds, and a great night from Okereke, who scored 17 with five rebounds and three steals, gave No. 18 Vanderbilt the unit needed to pull off the win along with Tyler Tanner.
That is what this team will need for the duration. Every night someone else stepping in with quality minutes and production. This wasn’t a pretty win, but a win is a win. The Commodores are now on a three game winning streak, and will have a few days to prepare for Oklahoma on next Saturday.
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