RECAP: Kentucky WBB season ends in 69-62 first-round loss to Princeton
After winning the SEC Tournament less than two weeks ago, Kentucky Women’s Basketball’s season has come to a shocking close.
On Saturday, No. 6 seed Kentucky (19-12) fell to the No. 11 seed Princeton Tigers (25-4) 69-62 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The loss marks the end of a 10-game win streak for Kentucky and the finish line of a legendary career for Rhyne Howard.
The win was revenge for Princeton, which fell to Kentucky in the Round of 64 in 2019. Moreover, the fall is another year Kentucky has failed to make it past the tournament’s second round. Ironically, the last time Kentucky made it to the Sweet 16 was in 2016. Howard’s collegiate career comes to an end without making it out of the Round of 32.
Dre’una Edwards was one of the few ‘Cats who excelled Saturday afternoon. The 6-foot-2 forward recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds in the contest. Edwards, who hit the 1,000-point mark for her career, finished the season as Kentucky’s leader in rebounds per game.
As a team, Kentucky looked like a shell of its former self. The ‘Cats shot a poor 20-55 (36%) from the field and 4-14 (29%) from beyond the arc. To pile on, Kentucky committed 15 turnovers and were outrebounded by the smaller Princeton Tigers.
Although the ‘Cats eventually fell, they undoubtedly left it all on the court.
Kentucky’s defense does its thing
Kentucky’s defense went to work in the first period. The team forced Princeton to commit seven turnovers in the opening 10 minutes of the contest. UK’s pesky defense propelled them to an early 6-0 run. Nonetheless, not everything went smoothly for the ‘Cats.
With four and a half minutes remaining in the first frame, Howard exited the game with an apparent injury. The All-American scared fans when she went to the locker room, holding her side. Princeton capitalized on Kentucky’s loss.
The Tigers rattled off eight unanswered points. Additionally, they returned Kentucky’s pressure. The Tigers squeezed five first-quarter miscues out of Kentucky. With a buzzer-beater by Kaitlyn Chen, Princeton took a 12-11 lead into the second quarter.
When it rains, it pours
Although Howard returned to the contest, she couldn’t stop Kentucky’s bleeding. Princeton outscored Kentucky 9-2 to begin the second period. To make matters worse, the ‘Cats suffered another injury.
With 6:33 remaining in the first half, Edwards left the game after being poked in the eye. The redshirt junior did not return for the remainder of the quarter. Without their leading rebounder, Kentucky turned the contest into a dogfight.
Jada Walker had a massive first half, recording 11 points and five steals in 18 minutes. Following the contest, head coach Kyra Elzy spoke about her freshman.
“Jada Walker is tough as nails,” Elzy said during the postgame press conference. “She’s a fearless freshman.”
Unfortunately, Howard wasn’t having as much success. The two-time SEC Player of the Year couldn’t find a basket until the final second of the first half. She drilled a crucial 3-pointer to cut Kentucky’s deficit to 32-26 at the break.
Kentucky finds the free-throw line
Kentucky carried their momentum into the third period. The team had an early 6-0 run, fueled by their patented 1-2-2 press. Nonetheless, Kentucky didn’t stay hot for long.
The ‘Cats lived at the charity stripe in the third frame. Shooting 8-9 from the free-throw line in the period, nearly half of Kentucky’s third-quarter points came from fouls. However, Howard wasn’t satisfied.
After finishing a physical layup and receiving no whistle, Howard commented to a referee. Consequently, Howard received a technical foul, her third foul of the contest. She finished the final minute of the quarter on the bench as Princeton carried a 48-44 lead into the final frame.
The Wildcats come up short
The first five minutes of the final frame were closer to a game of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots than it was basketball. For every shot Kentucky nailed, Princeton would respond in an even more impressive fashion. Princeton guard Abby Meyers led the charge with 10 points in the fourth quarter, contributing to her 29-point career-high.
After the contest, Elzy discussed Meyers’ astounding performance.
“Abby had a great game,” Elzy said. “She’s a phenomenal guard. I thought she made some big plays, her ability to score on all three level. You know if you give her any space, it’s going up, and she’s very efficient offensively.”
Both teams’ offenses came to a halt after the explosive start to the final frame. Sadly for the ‘Cats, they were trailing when this cold spell swept over the teams. Neither team scored for over two and a half minutes. When Kentucky finally broke the ice, it was too late.
When the final buzzer sounded, the ‘Cats fell to the Tigers 69-62 in Assembly Hall. During the contest, Kentucky scored a mere seven second-chance points on eight offensive boards. Worse, UK had just 10 assists after averaging 18 assists per game throughout the SEC Tournament.
Along with Edwards, Howard and Walker also scored in double-figures. In her final game as a Wildcat, Howard dropped 17 points and eight rebounds on 4-14 shooting. Kentucky’s star went an impressive 7-7 from the free-throw line. Walker added 11 points and six steals on 4-8 shooting, as well.
In Elzy’s second season as head coach, Kentucky finishes with 19 wins and 12 losses. Despite a disappointing first-round exit, Elzy is proud of the season and, more importantly, her team.
“In this moment, it hurts. But, when we have a chance to look back, I just told them how much I love them,” Elzy said. “When we were dead in the water, this team could have laid down and quit, and we did something really special.”
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