FINAL: Kentucky WBB loses to FGCU 59-48, drops 2nd straight game

This game was over as soon as it began. As expected, taking down FGCU on the road was going to be a tall task.

Florida Gulf Coast opened the game on an 11-0 run, and Kentucky women’s basketball could never recover after that. Head coach Karl Smesko and the FGCU Eagles ended up defending home court successfully, winning 59-48 down in Fort Myers. That puts Kentucky at 2-2 on the season with back-to-back losses as the ‘Cats prepare for a top-25 NC State team in their first game in the Paradise Jam this coming week.

That 11-0 run to start the game would be the only difference in the first half, as the Eagles led 30-19 after two quarters of play. Both teams were ice-cold in the first 20 minutes as well. Kentucky and FGCU were a combined 3-25 (12%) from three at the break.

FGCU came into the game near tops in the country in three-point attempts per game, and they didn’t shy away from their identity against the Lady ‘Cats despite the poor start. FGCU shot 30 threes in the game, but they only made five of their attempts (17%). That was still enough for the Eagles to cruise to a win.

With senior Maddie Scherr being held out again due to her ankle injury, Kentucky didn’t really put up much of a fight against the Eagles, but it was nice to see sophomore Amiya Jenkins step up and fill her shoes.

Through the first three games of the season, Jenkins had shown great strides in her game, and that continued into Sunday’s game against FGCU. The Anderson County product scored 18 points on 7-17 shooting (41%) while grabbing six rebounds. However, her effort wasn’t enough to propel Kentucky to a victory.

Final pic.twitter.com/BUrP0TG6K8

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) November 19, 2023

Florida Gulf Coast started the second half on another run, this time getting off to a 10-0 start. For whatever reason, Kentucky just came out flat to start both halves, and that’s where they lost the game. FGCU sunk three deep shots right out of the half, and all of that happened in less than 90 seconds. Head coach Kyra Elzy tried to call a timeout before things got too bad, but her players didn’t notice.

Senior Ajae Petty struggled to get going early, but she started to get herself rolling as the game went on. Petty finished with 15 points, shooting an efficient 7-8 (88%) from the field. With Petty being bigger than everyone else on the floor, she was able to grab 13 rebounds as well. The 6-foot-3 center was one of the few positives for Kentucky in Sunday’s loss.

Perhaps where Kentucky struggled the most is where, ironically, they take the most pride in their game: the turnover battle. FGCU forced Kentucky to commit a season-high 18 turnovers, while the Eagles only committed 12 turnovers themselves.

Kentucky seemed to be playing too fast for their own good, and when they weren’t playing fast, they were on the bad end of two huge runs to start each half. Just a no-good, very bad day of basketball for the Wildcats. It only gets tougher from here too. Kentucky takes on No. 14 NC State on Thursday at 3:15 p.m. EST on ESPN+ down in the U.S. Virgin Island in the first of three games across three days.