UK Hoops Defeats Sacramento State 101-70

[caption id="attachment_231496" align="alignnone" width="300"] (via @KentuckyWBB)[/caption] There were plenty of nerves surrounding the UK Hoops game against Sacramento State after Coach Mitchell announced yesterday that No. 21 Ogechi Anyagaligbo would be out for the season with a torn ACL. While the Cats remained consistently in the lead, seven team fouls gave Sacramento State the opportunity to shoot six points from the free throw line. UK Hoops managed to hold a seven-point lead over Sacramento State by the end of the first quarter, with the score 31-24.   The second quarter began with the Cats grabbing a nine-point lead, but Memorial Coliseum’s excitement was quickly deflated when Sacramento State answered with a 7-0 run to cut UK Hoops lead to two. UK’s defense responded, ending the half with an 11-2 run, and widening the Cats lead with a halftime score of 56-42. No. 24 Taylor Murray and No. 22 Makenzie Cann proved that Anyagaligbo’s injury wouldn’t be a hindrance. Murray contributed 20 points, making her the lead scorer at the half. Cann was a close second with 15 points and six rebounds. Kentucky’s defense only grew stronger in the third quarter, when UK Hoops held Sacramento State to just 13 points.   In the fourth quarter, Kentucky’s defense waned slightly when Sacramento State scored a 7-0 run, cutting UK’s biggest lead of the night from 29 points to 22. Kentucky responded, ending the fourth quarter in triple digits, with a 31-point lead over Sacramento State. Murray was the lead scorer for the night with 22 points, and Cann was the second highest with 17. “We’ve got 14 fantastic young women on this team that will contribute in some way this season, and that can be on the court or off the court,” Coach Mitchell said in a post-game press conference. UK Hoops won the game 101-70.