KSR GAMEDAY: Monmouth stands in the way of Kentucky being 2-0

Even though it was ugly at times, Kentucky took down Morehead State to get its first win of the young season. Now, the Cats face a Monmouth squad who will be looking to make its first NCAA Tournament since the 2022-23 season.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Hawks and tonight’s game, including where you can watch and listen to the game amidst the YouTube TV and ESPN drama.

Bio Blast

Monmouth opened its year with an 81-42 win over D-II Chestnut Hill College, which was an eight-point game after the first quarter before the Hawks outscored Chestnut Hill 27-9 in the second quarter. Their defense was on point from that point on — something that seemed to carry over from last season.

Believe it or not, the Hawks were among the top 50 teams in the country when it came to field goal percentage defense — sitting at No. 49, holding opponents to just 38% from the field a year ago.

Considering Kentucky shot just 37% overall and 17% from three against Morehead State, that could be something to monitor for tonight’s game. If Kentucky fails to hit shots at an efficient clip again, this one might end up being a little too close for comfort.

Scouting Report

Against Chestnut Hill, the best player by a large margin for Monmouth was 6-foot forward Alexis Davis, who shot 8-13 from the field, tallying 20 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks. She dominated against the Griffins — clearly being Monmouth’s go-to option on offense while crashing the glass. With the size that Kentucky has though, it would be really, really impressive if she can put up those kind of numbers tonight.

Divine Dibula, who has spent all three years of her career at Monmouth, recorded 12 points, six rebounds and three steals on Monday. Last season, she went the entirety of November without reaching double figures in the scoring column, so Dibula may be in for a solid and productive year for the Hawks.

Then, there’s guard Kellyn Preira, who scored 12 points, dished out four assists and got three steals against Chestnut Hill. Expect the ball to be in her hands a lot, especially considering she’s currently shooting 37.5% from deep on the year. Another one to look out for is 6-foot-3 big Ella Farrelly, who grabbed 10 rebounds in Monmouth’s win on Monday.

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Monmouth Hawks roster

Projected Kentucky Starters

#5 – Tonie Morgan

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – SENIOR

16 PPG – 4 APG – 2 RPG

#0 – Jordan Obi

6-FOOT-1 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

15 PPG – 15 RPG – 1 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – SENIOR

10 PPG – 8 RPG – 2 APG

#7 – Teonni Key

6-FOOT-5 – FORWARD – SENIOR

5 PPG – 6 RPG – 4 BPG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – JUNIOR

15 PPG – 15 RPG – 3 BPG

Phoenix’s Prediction

Score: 79-52, Kentucky

MVP: Tonie Morgan

After struggling to put the ball in the hoop against Morehead State, Kentucky will cash in on some three-point opportunities thanks to the open looks that Tonie Morgan will create. We’ll see her on full display — the driving and scoring plus the dime-dropping. Give me 16 points and eight assists for the Kentucky point guard in a 27-point win.

How to Watch/Listen

Location	Tipoff	TV	Radio	Live Stats
Historic Memorial Coliseum (Lexington, KY)	6:30 p.m. ET	SEC Network+ (Noah Frary, Christi Thomas)	630 WLAP, 790 WKRD, SiriusXM Channel 117 or 191 (Darren Headrick)	StatBroadcast

Follow Along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG

Unable to watch the game? Don’t worry — we’ll be providing real-time updates throughout to keep you informed on the action. Follow along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG, which will get rolling on the website an hour before the game starts.

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).