Ole Miss guard Breein Tyree scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Rebels to an 81-71 upset victory over Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday night.
Tyree shot 11 of 16 from the field, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Forwards Blake Hinson and Terence Davis and guard Devontae Shuler each scored 11 for the Rebels (11-2) in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
Davis, who didn't score in the first half despite a 15.5-point average coming in, picked up his fourth foul with 15:23 left. Hinson picked up his fourth with 8:51 to play, but Ole Miss hung on for the win.
It's the Rebels' fourth straight win at Memorial Gym.
The Commodores (9-4) were led in scoring by forwards Simi Shittu (21 points) and Joe Toye (12).
Vanderbilt failed to take advantage of a 21-16 fouls advantage. The Commodores, a 72.6 percent free throw shooting team coming in, went 17 of 29 (58.6 percent) from the line.
Forward Matt Ryan got the Commodores out of the gate quickly in the second half, hitting three 3s in the first 3:24, the last putting VU up 45-41, Vandy's biggest lead since the early minutes of the first half.
Vanderbilt built the advantage to six, but the Rebels regained the lead on a Davis 3 with 7:54 left and never trailed again.
Tyree scored his 28th and 29th points from the foul line with 5:35 left, giving the Rebels a 67-60 lead, the largest for either team to that point.
Vandy guard Aaron Nesmith answered with a 3, but Davis answered with one on the Rebels' next trip. After a Vandy miss, Shuler's layup put Ole Miss up 72-63 with 3:53 left.
The Commodores never got closer than four from there.
Tyree proved impossible to stop early. The junior hit his first six shots, including a 28-footer with 8:25 left in the first half that put the Rebels up, 20-18.
The Rebels led 35-32 at the half behind Tyree's 17; his teammates were 6 of 22 from the field in the first half.
--Field Level Media
Mississippi | Vanderbilt | |
Breein Tyree 31 | Scoring | Simisola Shittu 21 |
Devontae Shuler 6 | Assists | Saben Lee 5 |
KJ Buffen 7 | Rebounds | Simisola Shittu 9 |
Devontae Shuler 7 | Free Throws Made | Simisola Shittu 9 |
Devontae Shuler 2 | Steals | Matt Ryan 2 |
KJ Buffen 2 | Blocks | Clevon Brown 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Mississippi | 81 | 49.1 | 6-18 | 19-22 | 15 | 35 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
Vanderbilt | 71 | 40.0 | 6-20 | 17-29 | 13 | 31 | 5 | 7 | 10 |