Kentucky's mistakes in the paint contributed to 19-point road loss to UNC

kghutchi

kentucky-mistakes-paint-contributed-loss-north-carolina — Photo by UK Athletics

In Kentucky Women’s Basketball’s 72-53 loss to No. 16 North Carolina on Thursday, the No. 14 Wildcats found their struggles in many places on the court. But Kentucky struggled in one particular spot more than any other: the paint.

Despite having the advantage in size with 6-foot-7 Clara Silva and 6-foot-5 Clara Strack, the team as a whole combined for only 10 points in the paint. Only six of those points came from Kentucky’s tallest players. It’s safe to say it wasn’t a great night for Clara Strack. She’d been averaging 18.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. But on Thursday, the center finished with only four points on 2-10 (20%) from the field. She added four rebounds and two assists. Silva finished with two points on 1-4 (25%) and two rebounds, plus a block.

Where Kentucky’s issues really became obvious though, is their inability to guard North Carolina in the paint. The Tar Heels finished with a whopping 42 points in the paint in their 19-point win over the ‘Cats. UNC’s starting center Maria Gakdeng added 14 points in the paint, along with two from the free throw line. But it wasn’t just Gakdeng dominating the lane. Alyssa Ustby and Reniya Kelly scored a combined 31 points, a majority of those coming from beating Kentucky off the dribble.

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At the end of three, there's a clear difference in today's matchup: points in the paint. Kentucky has secured 10 paint points. UNC on the other hand? 32.

The Tar Heels are up by 11 heading into the final 10 minutes.

Kentucky 39 | UNC 50 | End 3Q
— Katie Hutchison (@KHutchisonKSR) December 5, 2024

In order to make an impact in conference play, the ‘Cats will have to adjust. Kentucky can’t rely on Clara Strack to score upwards of 20 points in every game. They’ll have to learn their way around a strong defense like North Carolina’s and how to control the paint. While Kentucky has a height advantage over most teams, that’s not solely enough to beat the skill that the SEC is full of.

The Wildcats’ defensive struggles led to a loss for their first road game of the year. While Kentucky has come out on top in two top-20 matchups this season against Louisville and Illinois, they were unable to add a third victory to that list. Now, Kentucky sits at 7-1 heading back to Memorial Coliseum to take on Queens on Monday. Tipoff on Nov. 9 is set for 6:00 p.m. EST and will be streaming on the SEC Network+.