Eniya Russell shines in place of Kentucky star

The Kentucky women’s basketball team is the first ever No. 14 seed to advance to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament, and they did it without their leading scorer recording a single point.

In Kentucky’s 71-58 triumph over 6-seed Alabama, Robyn Benton put up zero points while shooting 0-6 from the field and 0-3 from beyond the arc. This is Benton’s first time failing to score this season — she came in averaging a team-high 16.8 points per game.

Making the most of her moment

Foul trouble was partly to blame for Benton’s subpar performance. The 5-foot-9 guard picked up her fourth foul with just under four minutes left in the third quarter. UK head coach Kyra Elzy sidelined her star only for another to surprisingly shine.

South Carolina transfer Eniya Russell ignited the Cats in the final 14 minutes of the game, scoring 10 points alone in the fourth frame. The electric stretch was highlighted by two crucial corner 3s. Russell’s teammates couldn’t be prouder.

“She had 10 points in the quarter, but she did some amazing things on defense, and I think that’s why we were so excited for her. She got stops and blocks. I think that also led into her having those 10 points,” Maddie Scherr said during the postgame press conference.

Scherr is spot-on. With 2:24 left in the fourth period, Russell swatted an Alabama guard to stamp a win on Kentucky’s record book. Sophomore guard Jada Walker wasn’t shocked by Russell’s breakout performance.

“I loved her energy today and the amount of confidence she came in having today, because I know she can hoop. I’ve seen her, watched her play for a lot of years while I was growing up,” Walker said.

Kyra Elzy loves what she sees

Evidently, Elzy believed in Russell’s hooping abilities, as well. The 44-year-old head coach decided to keep Benton on the bench for the final 14 minutes of the game; a gutsy move by a gutsier coach. More than anything, Elzy loved Russell’s hustle.

“I was joking with her in the back. We talk about making 50/50 plays, getting on the floor, and making hustle plays. I looked down and I can’t see that far anyway, but I was like, ‘Is that Eniya Russell on the floor?’ I got so excited I said, ‘I don’t know who you are but I like her. Have her come back to us,‘” Elzy said following the win.

Elzy won’t have to wait to see if Russell fulfills her request. The Cats take the SEC Tournament court again versus Tennessee at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday night. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.