Vanderbilt takes opening-round game in SEC tourney, ends Rebels’ season
Published 12:02 pm Thursday, March 3, 2016
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Ole Miss ended its season with a 74-59 loss to Vanderbilt on Wednesday in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. Shandricka Sessom led the way with 17 points for her 25th game in double figures this season and her third straight game in double figures. Bretta Hart was also in double figures with 13 points and a team-best seven rebounds to go with a career-best four blocks.
With the Commodores holding a double-digit lead for the majority of the game, Ole Miss closed the game on a 21-2 run courtesy of eight points from Hart but it wasn’t enough to combat the 56.3 percent shooting (27-of-48) of Vanderbilt, including a blistering 64.7 percent in the first quarter.
In the third quarter Vanderbilt extended its lead to 27 points and although Ole Miss struggled to score the ball, Sessom was a bright spot, scoring 19 points, 11 in the second half, for her 25th game in double figures this season. Kiara Golden was a huge spark off the bench with back-to-back buckets off steals midway though the quarter, cutting the Vanderbilt lead to 53-34.