Cotie McMahon scores 27 and No. 17 Mississippi women hold off No. 5 Vanderbilt 83-75 – Newsday

Mississippi forward Christeen Iwuala (12) cheers her teammate, guard Denim DeShields (22), after a collision during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Vanderbilt, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Birmingham, Ala. Credit: AP/Vasha Hunt
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Cotie McMahon scored 27 points, Christeen Iwuala had 18 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 17 Mississippi beat No. 5 Vanderbilt 83-75 on Friday at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
The game was originally scheduled for Thursday night on the Ole Miss campus before moving due to icy conditions outside.
Ole Miss built a 44-25 lead at halftime behind 25 combined points from McMahon and Iwuala. Vanderbilt scored just 10 points in the second quarter on 3-of-12 shooting from the floor. The Commodores had 12 turnovers and just 10 field goals in the first half.
Vanderbilt rallied in the third quarter after making 11 of 17 shots and turning it over just twice. Mikayla Blakes scored 11 points in the third to get the Commodores within 60-51.
Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda converted a three-point play with 5:56 left in the fourth to give Vanderbilt its first lead, 67-64, since it was 11-9. But Ole Miss responded by scoring the next seven points to begin an 11-3 run for a 75-70 lead with 1:57 left.
McMahon and Debreasha Powe combined to make four straight free throws in the final minute to secure Mississippi's sixth straight victory in the series.
Latasha Lattimore added 12 points and Kaitlin Peterson had 11 off the bench for Ole Miss (18-4, 5-2 Southeastern Conference).
Mississippi forward Christeen Iwuala (12) celebrates after scoring at the first-quarter buzzer during an NCAA college basketball game against Vanderbilt, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Birmingham, Ala. Credit: AP/Vasha Hunt
Blakes led Vanderbilt (20-2, 6-2) with 29 points. Aubrey Galvan added 18 and Mwenentanda finished with 11. The Commodores were off to their best start through 21 games since the 1992-93 Final Four team.
Vanderbilt: Scheduled to host Florida on Sunday.
Ole Miss: Remains in Birmingham to play Auburn on Monday.
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