RECAP: Kentucky WBB triumphant in impressive 98-56 victory
Kentucky Women’s Basketball had a record-breaking Thursday evening. The Wildcats put on a show as they trounced the North Alabama Lions in a 98-56 victory. Kentucky senior Dre’Una Edwards led the charge for the ‘Cats with 27 points and five rebounds. North Alabama was led by sophomore guard Macey Lee, who recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds.
The high-scoring victory serves as a hopeful sign for Kentucky as they prepare to take on #8 Indiana this upcoming Sunday. Although the ‘Cats eventually created a large margin of victory, the triumph didn’t come easily. Here’s how the Wildcats pulled out their second win of the season.
Promising first period
Unlike Kentucky’s previous contest, the ‘Cats stepped onto the court with passion on Thursday night. Perhaps part of this change in spirit can be traced back to the Wildcats’ new starters. In only the second game of the season, head coach Kyra Elzy swapped two new faces into the starting lineup: Robyn Benton and Treasure Hunt in place of Emma King and Olivia Owens. The change seemed to work.
The ‘Cats didn’t wait a moment to put pressure on the Lions. From the opening basket, Kentucky was picking up a full 94 feet on defense. The tenacious defense proved deadly.
In the first period, the Wildcats forced four Lions turnovers. Kentucky’s defense wasn’t the only thing wreaking havoc. In her first start, Benton dropped seven points in the first 10 minutes of the game. The senior guard approved of her performance in the post-game press conference.
“It felt good. Like, James Brown good,” Benton said with a smile.
In truth, early on, the Lions looked simply outmatched. From boards to buckets, the ‘Cats were everywhere. After the first, Kentucky led 22-14.
Kentucky’s slow second quarter
Unfortunately for the ‘Cats, the second period wouldn’t be as smooth of sailing as the first. In just two minutes of play, the Lions went on an 8-2 run and were met with a Kentucky timeout. Suddenly, the ‘Cats were in a ball game.
Much to the Lions’ dismay, the Wildcats found some energy of their own and responded with an 8-0 run to increase their lead to double digits. The ‘Cats run came to an odd close. After attempting to take a charge, Howard picked up her second foul and was subbed out of the game.
Kentucky looked deflated for the remainder of the quarter. Even when Howard was put back on the court, Kentucky was playing with two left feet. Clumsiness cost them. In a matter of minutes, the Lions took three charges and cut Kentucky’s advantage to 35-31 heading into halftime.
‘Cats claw out large lead in the third
If Kentucky fans thought they disliked the team’s slow first half, Dre’Una Edwards must have hated it; and she wasn’t afraid to let her opinion be known. Edwards exploded for 17 points in the third period.
Edwards seemingly wasn’t alone in her sudden burst of intensity. As a unit, the ‘Cats exploded for a record-setting 36 points in the third frame.
For reference, Kentucky only scored 35 points total in the first half. Where did this seemingly random offensive eruption come from, you might ask? Here’s what Elzy had to say.
“The second half, I thought we were just more poised offensively and we slowed down. That was the biggest difference,” Elzy said.
Statistically speaking, the majority of the scoring run came from paint dominance. In fact, nearly a third of Kentucky’s third-quarter points came from second-chance buckets.
At the beginning of the quarter, the ‘Cats stole a commanding lead. By the end of the period, the ‘Cat had stolen the Lions’ spirit. Kentucky went into the final 10 minutes with a comfortable 71-51 lead.
Kentucky WBB finish strong in the fourth
When it rains it pours. Kentucky continued to lay wake to North Alabama throughout the final quarter. Not only were Kentucky’s stars shining, but the role players were too.
By the end of the contest, every healthy player scored for the Wildcats, including walk-on Kristen Crenshaw-Gill. Furthermore, the role players did it in historic fashion. With Kentucky’s stars out of the game, the ‘Cats closed out the Lions by scoring 24 unanswered points. Kentucky stars on the bench were eating up every moment.
“It’s definitely fun,” Edwards said about watching her fellow ‘Cats perform. “We love seeing our teammates hit shots.”
The Wildcats’ 63-point effort in the second half was the second-most in school history. With each basket, the Lions increasingly looked like prey instead of predators.
When the merciful final buzzer sounded, Kentucky walked away with a satisfying 98-56 victory over North Alabama.
As mentioned before, Edwards led the squad with 27 points, but she wasn’t the only ‘Cat with a stellar performance. Star senior Rhyne Howard dropped a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Benton and freshman Jada Walker added double-digit scoring totals, as well.
‘Cats prepare for final test of three-game stretch
Kentucky isn’t out of the woods yet. While the program’s two early wins are exciting, UK will face its biggest test thus far on the road against #8 Indiana with only a couple of days to prepare. While the quick turnaround will be a challenge, Elzy is confident in her crew.
The ‘Cats will travel away to face Indiana. The contest will be on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. and broadcast on ESPN.
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