The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
11-10, 2-6
Vanderbilt
12-8, 3-4
Ole Miss Falls To Vanderbilt, 73-51
1/29/2005 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2005
Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Corey Smith scored 14 points and had five rebounds and Vanderbilt snapped it four-game losing streak with a 73-51 victory over Ole Miss on Saturday.
Vanderbilt shot a season-high 61 percent from the floor, a marked improvement from the 41 percent it shot during its four-game losing streak.
Mario Moore scored 12 points in a rare appearance as a reserve and Ted Skuchas added 11 points off the bench for Vanderbilt (12-8, 3-4 Southeastern Conference).
Kendrick Fox scored 13 points to lead Ole Miss (11-10, 2-6), which saw its losing streak extended to four games. Todd Abernathy had nine points and nine rebounds and Marvin Moore scored 10 points.
Ole Miss had led in the second half in its three previous losses, but that was not the case against Vanderbilt. The closest the Rebels would get in the second half was seven points, and that was on their first possession. The Commodores steadily stretched the lead and led by as many as 23 late in the game.
Vanderbilt used three freshmen in its starting lineup in an effort to break its recent losing streak, bringing junior point guard Moore off the bench for the first time this season and only the third time in the last two years. The strategy paid off as Vanderbilt put together a 19-3 run early in the first half and led 23-8 on a Moore 3-pointer. The Rebels fought back in the first half and managed to whittle the deficit to seven on a couple of occasions before heading into halftime trailing 35-26.
Vanderbilt has won 12 of the last 13 games against Ole Miss at Memorial Gym and four straight overall.
Vanderbilt played without starting forward Julian Terrell, who was with his family following the death of his mother on Thursday.
