OXFORD, Miss. – Matthew Murrell scored 24 points to lead No. 23 Ole Miss to a 69-56 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon at The Pavilion.
Murrell hit six three-pointers to power his game-high 24, part of a 10-for-25 day from three for the Rebels. Ole Miss (15-1, 2-1 SEC) finished with three in double-digit scoring as Allen Flanigan added 16 and Jaylen Murray 12.
Tyrin Lawrence led the Commodores (5-11, 0-3 SEC) with 14 points while Jason Rivera-Torres added 12 and Ezra Manjon 11. Rivera-Torres’ dozen marked the third-consecutive game in double figures for the freshman. Fellow freshman JQ Roberts scored a career-best eight points in his first start.
Ole Miss shot 57-percent from the floor in the first half to build a 41-32 lead at the break. The Rebels pushed the advantage to 14 with 13:19 to play before the Commodores rallied. A 13-2 run helped Vanderbilt close within three at 55-52 with 8:17 to play, but Ole Miss answered with a 10-0 run to seal the game.
The Rebels held a 42-33 edge on the glass, leading to a 13-3 advantage in second-chance points.
Vanderbilt returns home to Memorial Gymnasium on Wednesday, Jan. 17, to face No. 16 Auburn. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on the SEC Network.
