Live Blog: No. 15 Vanderbilt Basketball at Mississippi State

Vanderbilt looks to finally get back in the win column after losing its last three.

Jan 20, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Tanner (3) drives against Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr (5) during the second half at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won 93-68. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Is today the day that Vanderbilt basketball gets back in the win column and starts a new winning streak?

Vanderbilt goes into Starkville, Mississippi on a three-game losing streak and coming off what was by far its worst game of the season, losing to No. 20 Arkansas 93-68. It was a game that Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington called "embarrassing" in his postgame press conference.

The Commodores were 16-0 and 3-0 in the SEC, but have dropped to 3-3 and found themselves in the middle of the pack of the SEC standings. But today’s game against Mississippi State is Vanderbilt’s most favorable matchup it has had since playing LSU on Jan. 10.

Mississippi State is 2-4 in conference play and has an overall record of just 10-9. It has been a season of struggles for the Bulldogs, who are coming off a season where it made the NCAA Tournament. Mississippi State is on a four-game losing streak, losing three of the four games by 15 points or more.

In other words, Vanderbilt must take advantage of the matchup it has today. In fact, it may even be a must-win game for the Commodores to feel good about themselves and because of the fact that today’s game is a game Vanderbilt should win. To win a conference like the SEC and earn a strong seed in March Madness, winning the games a team should win is crucial.

Today’s game was originally scheduled for 5 p.m. CT, but was moved to 11 a.m. CT in an announcement Thursday evening due to the inclement winter storm that is anticipated to affect millions across the country, including the southeast.

Today could be a game where Vanderbilt starts to get its offense back on the right track. Mississippi State gives up 78 points per game and has surrendered 88 points or more three times during its four-game losing streak. The scoring opportunities will come, the Commodores have to take advantage of them.

Vanderbilt and Mississippi State are set to tipoff at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN+.

Follow the live blog here for live updates from today’s Vanderbilt-Mississippi State game.

Live Blog

Be sure to refresh your browser for live updates from Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State. The most recent updates will appear at the top.

2nd Half

• Vanderbilt's trifecta of Tanner, Nickel and Duke Miles continues to roll. Tanner's got 21, Miles has 17 and Nickel has 13.

• Vanderbilt is starting to get into transition and just continue to dominate as it opens up a 75-47 lead with 8:43 to go. Just a dominant performance.

• Vanderbilt leads by 22 while continuing to defend well and shoot above 50 percent for the game. Mississippi State is now outrebounding Vanderbilt 26-24, however.

• Vanderbilt continues to extend its lead in the early minutes of the second half. Commodores are now up 61-36 with 15 minutes to go.

1st Half

• HALF: Vanderbilt goes into the locker room up 51-30 after Chandler Bing hit a three just before the buzzer. A totally different Vanderbilt team than the one everyone saw Tuesday night. The Commodores are firing on all cylinders right now.

• Vanderbilt carries a 41-22 lead into the final media timeout of the half. The Commodores used their hot start to help maintain its large lead throughout the half. An all-around good day so far.

• Vanderbilt has its lead up to 37-18 with six minuntes to go. The fouls have piled up a little bit for Vanderbilt, but its big men have stayed out of foul trouble.

• Tyler Tanner is in his bag right now. He's got 14 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting, including making both of his three-point attempts. 27-13 Vanderbilt.

• The one Vanderbilt has not done well today is dealing with the foul situation. Commodores have committed five fouls before the second media timeout. Mike James picked up two fouls in about 10 seconds. Mississippi State is starting to wake up on offense, cutting the Vanderbilt lead to 24-12 after a 8-2 run.

• This is the Vanderbilt team that fans have loved watching all season. Commodores are up 22-4 not even six minutes in. Vanderbilt now has 15 points off seven takeaways. Tyler Tanner's got 11 points already.

• Vanderbilt is taking it right to Mississippi State in these first minutes up 14-4. This is exactly the start Vanderbilt needed. Forcing turnovers and attacking the basket. Vanderbilt has forced five turnovers and already scored 10 points off of them.

Pregame

• Vanderbilt will have a solid bill of health for the most part today other than being without Frankie Collins.

• To me, this is a must-win game for Vanderbilt. The Commodores cannot afford to lose to a team that has been in the lower tier of the conference throughout the season. Of course, losing a fourth in a row in a game like this would be devastating as well in terms of Vanderbilt's chances at a SEC regular season title and even hopes of a No. 3-seed in March Madness.

• Vanderbilt on SI will once again be covering today’s game remotely with the Commodores being on the road. With inclement weather projected, we hope that everyone across the country stays safe during the winter storm. It should be interesting to see how many people travel to the games that are set to take place in the areas affected by the storm.