FINAL: Kentucky WBB exacts revenge on Vanderbilt 69-65, wins third straight

It was an extra effort in the third quarter that allowed Kentucky to earn its third consecutive win.

On Thursday night inside of Memorial Coliseum, the Wildcats’ Women’s Basketball team (12-11, 5-8 in SEC play) were able to exact revenge on the Vanderbilt Commodores (12-15, 3-10 in SEC play) with a 69-65 win. Dre’Una Edwards led UK in scoring with 20 points on 10-15 shooting to go along with her seven rebounds. Rhyne Howard added 17 points, four rebounds, and three assists, although her injured thumb appeared to limit her abilities down the stretch. Jazmine Massengill was also excellent for the ‘Cats, contributing 10 points, five rebounds, and nine assists.

Both sides shot 45 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 18 times, but 12 additional bench points and four more made 3-pointers pushed Kentucky over the edge. Vandy beat the ‘Cats by eight a few weeks ago down in Nashville, but back in Lexington, revenge was served.

Third win in a row for the Cats! 😁#CommitToIt pic.twitter.com/zGFXAXk1Gf

— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) February 18, 2022

After Howard struck first with a made 3-pointer, Vanderbilt quickly rattled off a 10-0 run. Jada Walker would eventually hit a triple of her own for UK to end the drought before a pullup jumper from Massengill cut the Vandy lead to 10-8 at the first media timeout. Out of that break, Kentucky would take its first lead at 16-14, although a shot at the buzzer from Vanderbilt’s Jordyn Cambridge gave the Commodores an 18-17 advantage after the first period.

The second frame had a similar start to the opener, as Vandy pushed its lead back to five in a little over a minute. Kentucky continued to fight though, preventing the ‘Dores from breaking the game wide open. Howard, in particular, was playing like her All-American self. She hit her third shot from deep to tie the game at 33 with under two minutes until the intermission, but Vandy ultimately took a 36-34 lead into the halftime break.

Howard led all scorers with 13 points while Massengill, Walker, and Treasure Hunt all added at least five points of their won in the opening two quarters. Vanderbilt shot 61 percent in the first half compared to a 44 percent clip for the ‘Cats, scoring 14 more points in the paint in the process.

Out of the locker room, Vanderbilt once again was first to go on a run. The ‘Dores went ahead 40-34 not even two minutes into the third frame, but Kentucky finally imposed its will shortly after. UK outscored Vandy 16-5 the rest of the quarter to take a 50-45 lead into the final 10 minutes of action. Edwards was the star, dropping in 10 of her 20 points during the third period on 5-7 shooting.

With a lead in hand, Kentucky did what it needed to seal another much-needed victory. The ‘Cats exploded for a timely 10-0 run halfway through the final frame that gave UK its first double-digit lead of the night. Additionally, Vanderbilt went over three minutes without a made field goal as Kentucky began to break away.

In the end, Kentucky won its third game in a row by a final score of 69-65. Just keep on winnin’, ladies.