Maddie Scherr shows unmatched grit in Kentucky's SEC Tournament win
There’s tough and, then, there’s Maddie Scherr.
During Kentucky women’s basketball’s 72-57 triumph over Florida in the first round of the 2023 SEC Tournament, Scherr went down with an injury just four minutes into the game. Well… Went down for a moment. After hitting the hardwood, Scherr fought to her feet and painfully battled through two more possessions before being subbed out. The Kentucky native even forced a steal despite the pain.
Nightmare incident creates dream result
After the win, head coach Kyra Elzy reflected on her starting guard’s grit.
“She was running off and she was like, ‘I think I got a knee in the head, but I’m going to be OK, Coach.’ And, I was like, ‘Okay?'” Elzy said during the postgame press conference. “Then, I didn’t see her so I was like, ‘Where’s Maddie?’ But, she was in the back kind of getting herself together.”
While a knee to the head never sounds fun, it becomes a nightmare when you learn the context. In late February, Scherr was out for a week due to severe headaches. Scherr’s early-game injury against Florida could have easily led to a similar situation. Instead, it created unmatched motivation.
Thanks to a scuffle-induced 22-minute break in the second quarter, Scherr recovered before the half was over. With just under two minutes left in the second frame, Scherr returned to the court. While Scherr didn’t make an immediate impact, her comeback was key.
Maddie Scherr gets her vengeance
Scherr dropped a team-high eight points in the third quarter. The Oregon transfer also added three rebounds and two assists in the third effort while shooting 4-4 from the free-throw line. Simply put, Scherr was a difference-maker.
“She wanted to get back on the floor. Help her team win,” Elzy said. “Her mental toughness is huge and we needed [that] for us to continue to be successful.”
Mental toughness is underselling Scherr’s attributes. Scherr literally waved down her parents from the stands to talk with the trainer before subbing back into the game. Nothing and nobody was going to stop Scherr from helping her team get a win.
The gutsy attitude closely resembled Elzy’s final message before Kentucky left for the SEC Tournament.
“We’re not quitting. That’s not a part of our DNA, that’s not what this program is made of. It is a rough time in Kentucky women’s basketball, there is no mistake about it, but this program is built to last.”
With players like Scherr, Kentucky’s rough times will end sooner rather than later. Watch Kentucky take on No. 6 seed Alabama at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday in round two. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
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