Vanderbilt Uses Fast Start to Propel to Victory Over Mississippi State

The Commodores used offense and defense early on and cruised past the Bulldogs to snap a three-game losing streak.

Jan 24, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Tanner (3) drives to the basket as Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) defends during the first half at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner knocked the ball out of the hands of Mississippi State's Ja’Borri McGhee. Tanner’s teammate, Tyler Nickel, picked up the loose ball and passed the ball up the floor back to Tanner, who took the ball to the basket for a wide open layup. Just like that, the Commodores were up double digits before the first commercial timeout had even started.

It was a dream start for Vanderbilt Saturday afternoon. A start that was the polar opposite of the one it had Tuesday in Arkansas. Instead of beginning the game down 14 points, Vanderbilt jumped on Mississippi State early as it built an 18-point lead before six minutes had even passed.

The Commodores were up 22-4 on the Bulldogs by the 14:35 mark of the first half and used it to help snap a three-game losing streak in a game that it felt like they had to have if they wanted to compete and keep pace with the top of the SEC, winning 88-56.

“We were excited to play. Just our approach I thought we had our edge. Our activity was great. Our defense was really locked in today. They got some talented players, but our guys’ approach to the game was really good,” Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington said.

The start Vanderbilt had Saturday resembled the team fans had grown to love and get used to watching the first 16 games of the season. What was so great about the run is how Vanderbilt built its lead. The Commodores played great offense and defense to help pull away early.

What immediately stood out about the opening blitz from Vanderbilt is how it pressured Mississippi State defensively. Whether Mississippi State was just not ready for the Commodores’ ball pressure, or was simply ill-prepared for it, the Commodores made the Bulldogs look shell-shocked the first six minutes of the game.

The ball pressure Vanderbilt put on Mississippi State created plenty of turnovers, which Vanderbilt capitalized on what felt like every single time.

Nickel’s takeaway that led to Tanner’s open layup to grab a 10-point lead was just one of many examples of where Vanderbilt took advantage. By the time the game reached only the first commercial timeout, Vanderbilt had forced five turnovers on Mississippi State and scored a basket on all five takeaways, which was the difference in the first few minutes.

But that was not all. Vanderbilt also forced two more turnovers that it took advantage of by scoring on its ensuing possession to help build a 22-4 lead. In what felt like the blink of an eye, Vanderbilt was outscoring Mississippi State 15-0 in points off turnovers and the game felt like it was already out of reach despite there still being 35 minutes of game time remaining.

In the first half alone, Vanderbilt had forced 11 turnovers and scored 18 points off of them as it carried a 21-point lead into halftime. Vanderbilt guard Duke Miles had seven steals himself, the most in a game by a Commodore since James Strong in 1998.

“We turned them over for points. Duke Miles was taking it everywhere and finding guys. Our guys had a hard film session the other day, they learned from it and that’s what we’re doing right now. We’re still in January and we still can get a lot better, the guys know it. But that’s what we’re striving for,” Byington said.

What was also impressive about Vanderbilt's early run and first half overall was how well it shot the ball. The Commodores shot 62 percent in the early going and kept a pace of 56 percent shooting in the first half. Vanderbilt hit seven threes on 18 attempts in the first half as well.

Tanner was running the show on offense for the Commodores throughout the game, especially in the first half. Tanner was in a zone from the opening tip, hitting his first six shots of the game and his first two threes of the game. At one point in the first half, Tanner was outscoring Mississippi State 14-13 by himself.

“When we’re on, we’re on. We’re very hard to beat,” Miles said on Vanderbilt's hot start to the game.

Now what Vanderbilt has to do is build on the performance it had Saturday and allow the opening run to fuel a new winning streak. The road ahead for the Commodores is pretty favorable before the final six-game stretch arrives. Saturday was a get right game as the Commodores will turn their focus to Kentucky.

“We’re going to come in and we’re going to see what we did on tape to keep pushing forward and keep this win streak back going. Just focusing on one game at a time,” Miles said.