Kentucky WBB could have faltered, but they went on an 18-0 run instead to beat No. 19 Illinois

At the half, Kentucky and Illinois were tied at 28, and as expected, it was a rock fight between two Top 20 teams. That would continue through the start of the fourth quarter, where Kentucky held a small 53-48 lead over the Fighting Illini with 8:22 to go in the game.

However, at that 53-48 mark, Kentucky turned the jets all the way up. The Cats would proceed to go on an 18-0 run that would give Kentucky a 71-48 lead, putting the good guys on top for good.

The final score was 76-53 — a 23-point win for Kenny Brooks and company. Throughout the game, the odds seemed stacked against the Cats. Illinois shot 25 more free throws on the night, going 20-27 from the charity stripe. As for Kentucky? Just 1-2. Still, they got the win thanks to that huge 18-0 run.

Georgia Amoore got it started, and then Dazia Lawrence and Teonni Key would trade buckets throughout the scoring run. Amelia Hassett, who had 10 points and nine rebounds overall, would nail a three to cap the run off.

Against the really, really good teams, it’s going to be imperative that Kentucky can find ways to take control of games, and they did just that against Illinois. A lot of teams would crumble under the pressure that Kentucky faced this game, but that’s not what this group does. They just kept on, and it paid off.

Now, the Cats will look to continue their winning ways in their first true road test of the season against No. 16 North Carolina. Then, the Cats may be able to show off just how good they are. However, until then, we celebrate the win.