Jan. 6, 2013

Box Score  | Photo Gallery

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss women’s basketball team fell to Vanderbilt 76-57 Sunday afternoon in the Rebels’ SEC home opener.

With the loss, Ole Miss fell to 7-8 overall this season (0-2 SEC) while Vanderbilt improved to 12-3 overall (2-0 SEC).

Diara Moore scored in double figures for the 10^th time this year as she finished the game with a team-high 15 points. Tia Faleru scored in double figures for the seventh time this year as she added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Valencia McFarland scored eight points, recorded five rebounds, five assists and two steals.  She has now recorded 34 career games with at least five assists.

For the game, Ole Miss shot 35.4 percent (23-65) while Vanderbilt shot 54.4 percent (30-55). As a team, Ole Miss recorded 29 rebounds to Vanderbilt’s 41.  

“It was a tough loss today. It was a matter of a Vanderbilt team coming in really prepared and they are one of the most well-coached teams in the SEC,” head coach Brett Frank said.  “About the 13-minute mark of the first half we really got sluggish, failed to communicate and they hit a few threes and that was their opportunity to break the game open.”

The Commodores stretched its lead to nine, 22-13, with 8:33 left in the first half. Vanderbilt made six threes in the first half as the Commodores took a 40-19 lead at the half.

Ole Miss shot 29.0 percent (9-31) from the floor in the first half while Vanderbilt shot 55.6 percent (15-27). Kenyotta Jenkins led Ole Miss with six points in the first half while Faleru added four points. Courtney Marbra led the team with four rebounds.

Vanderbilt extended its lead to 25, 55-30, with 12:09 left in the second half.

Ole Miss will travel to Auburn on Thursday for at 6 p.m. tip against the Tigers.