FINAL: Kentucky WBB overcomes 15-point deficit to upset Mississippi State
Down by 15 points with a little over seven minutes left, Kentucky pulled off one of the program’s most improbable comeback victories in recent memory.
The UK Women’s Basketball team (11-11, 4-8 in SEC play) utilized an incredible 26-2 run down the stretch against Mississippi State (15-9, 6-6 in SEC play) to seal an 81-74 win on Tuesday night at Memorial Coliseum. The victory is the second in a row for Kentucky, which is finally beginning to hit a groove after weeks of untimely injuries and COVID-19 game cancelations.
Dre’Una Edwards led the ‘Cats with 23 points and nine rebounds on 7-13 shooting, including a perfect 9-9 mark from the free-throw line. Rhyne Howard added 14 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and two steals, but on a poor 4-19 shooting clip. Jada Walker also finished in double-figures with 17 points and five rebounds.
Kentucky began the night with what felt like its best start in a month. Mississippi State would strike first before Jada Walker and Rhyne Howard got the ‘Cats on the board. Behind eight early points from Howard, UK jumped out to a quick 10-point lead. Unfortunately, Howard would head to the bench at the 2:45 mark as Kentucky was outscored by five throughout the rest of the period. A bank shot 3-pointer from Treasure Hunt right before the buzzer gave UK a 25-22 advantage after 10 minutes of action.
Starting the second quarter, it was Walker who sparked the Kentucky offense. She converted an and-1 and drilled a 3-pointer that put gave UK a seven-point lead. However, Howard picked up her second foul with 7:19 left in the half, and everything immediately unraveled. MSU went on a lethal 16-0 run over the next four minutes, forcing a Wildcats timeout and Howard to reenter the game.
And wouldn’t you know it, Kentucky got right back in the contest with Howard on the floor. The ‘Cats outscored Mississippi State 9-5 heading into halftime, trailing 47-41 at the intermission. With Howard on the floor, UK was +17 in 14 minutes. With her on the bench? -23 in six minutes.
Out of the break, Kentucky did a solid job of preventing the Bulldogs from breaking away. While Mississippi State would push its lead back to double-digits, UK always had a counter. The ‘Cats had a chance to trim the lead down to as few as three with under a minute left in the third quarter, but turned the ball over during a fastbreak. MSU would eventually take a 64-57 lead into the final frame.
As the fourth quarter began, Mississippi State rattled off seven straight points to force a UK timeout. But Kentucky bounced right back with an incredible 14-0 run before an offensive rebound resulted in an Edwards jumper gave the ‘Cats its first lead since the second period. UK wasn’t even close to down, though. The run would reach as high as 26-2 before free throws won the game down the stretch for Kentucky.
In the end, the ‘Cats pulled off a borderline miracle in Memorial Coliseum, sealing a much-needed 81-74 victory.
Just keep on winning, ladies.
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