KSR's top takeaways from Kentucky's 17-point win over Ole Miss

Kentucky women’s basketball needed a win over Ole Miss on Sunday. For starters, it would be a bit of a feel-good victory after a month of what felt like painful loss after painful loss, but at the same time, this game had big NCAA Tournament seeding implications on the line, and the Cats came out on top.

Here are KSR’s tippy top takeaways from the 74-57 win over the Rebels in Historic Memorial Coliseum.

Kentucky should be back in position to host in the NCAA Tournament

Kentucky was not included in the first top 16 overall seeds reveal on Saturday, and in his latest Bracketology, ESPN’s Charlie Creme had Kentucky as a 5-seed. The Cats were just on the outside of the top 16, meaning that entering Sunday, they weren’t in position to host. Ole Miss, however, was listed a 4-seed and the No. 15 overall seed in the committee’s initial top 16.

With the win — a decisive one at that — Kentucky should switch spots with the Rebels. If the big dance began today, the Cats would play their first two rounds in Lexington.

Clara Strack is a matchup nightmare, even for the best of defenses

Following the Ole Miss game, Rebels head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, who commonly just goes by Coach Yo, said that Clara Strack “just willed them to a win”, and she’s right.

The 6-foot-5 center had one of her better games as a Wildcat, putting up 28 points on 11-23 (6-6 FT) shooting, nine rebounds and two blocks in 35 minutes of play. She hadn’t eclipsed 20 points since the Florida game on Jan. 15, but she picked the right time to go off.

The defense put on the clamps when needed the most

Kentucky’s offense obviously played a key part in winning the game — especially during the 19-0 second-quarter run and the 18-6 run to end the game — but the defense may have been the deciding factor when it was all said and done.

Ole Miss made just 16 field goals against Kentucky, shooting 27% from the floor and 3-15 (20%) from beyond the arc. Ohio State transfer Cotie McMahon did finish with 18 points, but only two other Rebels scored in double figures.

The month of February is all about getting right and hoping to be playing your best basketball heading into the conference and national tournaments, and Kentucky seems to be doing just that.

Kenny Brooks, Tonie Morgan, Clara Strack Ole Miss Postgame Press Conference

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