Vanderbilt Wins A Close One Against Ole Miss: A Recap

NASHVILLE -- In a game that was originally supposed to be played in Oxford, Mississippi, the Ole Miss Rebels paid a visit to Memorial Gym, Saturday evening. It was a sluggish game from both teams, and neither team went on a double-digit run throughout the whole game.

Vanderbilt’s defense and the bench players stepping up into elevated roles are what really got it across the finish line today. The Commodores forced nine Ole Miss turnovers in the first half, which is extreme for a Rebels team that averaged nine total per game entering tonight.

“We had more energy and activity in the first half, and that's something we do well as a team, and that's been something we do well with this entire year," Byington said postgame.

"The second half, we were just a step slow. And I thought Storr made some tough shots. You know, we could not quite keep guys out of the lane and do a couple of things there, so we just had to figure it out somehow. But the first half our activity was good, and we kind of looked like ourselves, and then we hit the wall. Fatigue and line-ups, things like that and somehow got through it.”

Strong performances from Tyler Tanner and AK Okereke led the way for Vanderbilt’s 71-68 victory, but the quality of minutes off the bench tonight made a huge impact for the team without two of its three starting guards.

Mike James was one of those players who had a strong impact off the bench, and his teammates were quick to praise him postgame despite him not getting the minutes many expected throughout the season thus far.

“He's a professional," AK Okereke said about James. "When he was out of the rotation, nothing changed from his routine. He really just approached the game with a very mature mindset, and it's very difficult to be in that situation. A lot of guys would have honestly folded and kind of mailed it in, but he stayed ready. Just through his workout regimen, and you can see when he's out there, he's ready to play every single time. And so that's what we expect from him, and that's what he's going to continue giving us.”

Some good news for the Commodores came in Mark Byington’s postgame interview with an update on Frankie Collins injury situation.

“Frankie's medically cleared, and we just got to get him going," Byington said. "So, hopefully this week's the one, but he's got to push himself and get ready. I know we counted on him. We invested in him, and he's a guy that really helps us win. So hopefully, he'd have the same motivation to get back.”

Vanderbilt is hopeful to have Frankie Collins back for their matchup next Saturday versus Oklahoma. Byington and his staff have to feel like the bye week couldn’t have come at a more perfect time to try and get Collins ready for that matchup.

The Sooners and Commodores face off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 7 in Memorial Gymnasium.