Kentucky WBB looks for vengeance against Missouri
The Kentucky women’s basketball team already had one massive losing streak this season. They’re not hoping to have another.
On Sunday, the Wildcats (9-11; 1-7) will square off against the Missouri Tigers (14-7; 3-5) at 3 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum. The matchup is a chance for revenge. On Dec. 29, 2022, Missouri defeated UK 74-71 in its SEC opener.
The loss was just the first wave in a storm of hardships. Now, head coach Kyra Elzy is trying to right the boat before it capsizes.
“You just go back to the drawing board. See what we can do, down, but not defeated, and we just have to go back to work,” Elzy said after UK’s latest loss.
Let’s talk about the Tigers
The ‘Cats aren’t the only team working, and Missouri is eager for its hard work to pay off. After starting off 3-0 in conference play, the Tigers have lost five-straight games by an average margin of 17.4 points. If anybody is exempt from this downward spiral, it’s Hayley Frank.
The 6-foot-1 forward averages 14.4 points per game while shooting an incredible 38.9% from beyond the arc. Frank outdid herself against the ‘Cats earlier this season, dropping 20 points in the contest.
Frank wasn’t the only one who dominated Kentucky in the two teams’ last matchup. Senior guard Lauren Hansen recorded 18 points and six rebounds while shooting 3-7 from deep. The high-scoring evening isn’t unusual for Hansen, who averages 13.2 points per outing.
While Frank is Missouri’s starting forward, 6-foot-1 guard Sara-Rose Smith is the Tigers paint anchor. Smith leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per game while averaging 6.9 points. Smith snagged seven boards against UK.
Mizzou takes advantage of its talented roster. The Tigers run a five-out offense, launching 22 3-pointers a night and connecting on 34.1% of them. The Wildcats have their work cut out for them, but they also know how to cut up the Tigers.
Keys for Kentucky WBB
Although Kentucky lost the war against Missouri, it won the turnover battle. The ‘Cats forced a ridiculous 25 turnovers out of the Tigers. In turn, the team scored 36 points off turnovers; not a bad day in the office.
Recently, Kentucky has reigned in its once-wild defense, sacrificing potential turnovers for disciplined defense. If UK wants to win on Sunday, it’s time to cut loose. The ‘Cats should put the Tigers in a pressure cooker every possession, every second of the game.
“We can’t take any possessions off whether it’s hitting a free throw, getting a box out, or finishing a layup. We need all of the intangibles to finish. As you can see, these games are coming down to one possession,” Elzy said after falling to Auburn on Jan. 26.
Losing by three points to Missouri earlier this season, Elzy’s words ring truer than ever. Every possession matters, and the more possessions, the better. Kentucky seemingly forgot this fundamental rule in their loss at Mizzou.
The Tigers pulled down 14 more rebounds than the ‘Cats in their win. Additionally, the team dominated the offensive glass, out-rebounding Kentucky 19 to 14. Fittingly, Missouri dropped 19 second-chance points.
Kentucky must find a way to freeze Missouri on the glass, even if it isn’t easy.
“It’s not what you want to do or how you think you should do it. It’s what we need to do. And all of the intangibles. In this league, every possession matters,” Elzy said.
Watch all of Kentucky’s possessions at 3 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum as the ‘Cats take on the Missouri Tigers. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
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