Kentucky WBB aims to shock No. 6 seed Alabama in SEC Tournament

Kentucky women’s basketball survived the First Four of the SEC Tournament. Now, the real fun begins.

On Thursday night in Greenville, SC, No. 14 seed Kentucky will take on the No. 6 seed Alabama Crimson Tide at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET in the second round of the tournament. Just over 24 hours before Thursday’s contest, UK fought (literally) for a 72-57 victory over No. 11 seed Florida.

Let’s get it, let’s get it, let’s get it. 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/kVH4aIzqdy

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) March 2, 2023

Kentucky’s first-round upset naturally drew comparisons to last year’s team, which made a shocking run to win the SEC championship. However, head coach Kyra Elzy wants this season’s squad to build their own path.

“The funny thing is everyone keeps asking me about the run from last year, which was magical,” Elzy said. “But this is a different team. 10 new players, so we don’t really focus on last year. Right now all I’m trying to focus on with this team, 1-0, right now. This is the present moment.”

Alabama will look to make the Cats’ tournament record 1-1 and, more harshly, end their season.

Let’s talk about the Crimson Tide

It wouldn’t be the first time Alabama handed Kentucky a loss this season. On Feb. 9, the Crimson Tide narrowly defeated the Cats 72-65, shooting an incredible 13-28 (46%) from deep in the process. Alabama’s downtown domination isn’t unusual.

The team drains 38.4% of its attempts from beyond the arc, ranking sixth in the nation. For reference, Kentucky connects on a mere 28.7% of its attempts from 3-point land. The Cats could use a player like Brittany Davis.

Davis leads Alabama with 17.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. The 5-foot-9 graduate student dropped 22 points and 11 rebounds in the win against UK while shooting 3-7 from deep.

Recovered ✅️
Prepared✅️
Focused ✅️

Ready for the SEC Tournament #RollTide #GritLoveGratitude pic.twitter.com/fg7OTEzmbQ

— Alabama Women’s Basketball (@AlabamaWBB) March 2, 2023

Davis is the only player on the Crimson Tide who regularly scores in double figures, but she is just one of many offensive threats. Junior combo guard Aaliyah Nye contributes 9.2 points per outing while shooting a ridiculous 45.4% from 3-point range.

What’s more ridiculous? Nye isn’t even the most efficient 3-point shooter on the team. Hannah Barber converts 47.8% of her 3-point attempts while also leading Alabama in assists. The team’s sharpshooting skillset killed Kentucky on Feb. 9. Nonetheless, Elzy knows where the Cats went wrong.

“We just gave them way too many open 3s. We did not close the gap. Make them put the ball on the floor,” Elzy said following the loss at Alabama earlier this season.

Preventing the deep ball is one of many considerations for Elzy’s squad.

Keys for Kentucky WBB

The Cats can’t only consider how to stop Alabama, they must consider how they can score. In UK’s loss to the Crimson Tide, it rattled off 15 unanswered points between the first and second quarter. Who started the run? None other than Adebola Adeyeye.

The 6-foot-2 forward finished that game with nine points and nine rebounds, beginning a late-season surge. That surge came to a pinnacle in Kentucky’s win over Florida yesterday, when Adeyeye put up 11 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. The Cats will need more from her if they want to advance once again.

Luckily for Kentucky, Adeyeye is seemingly yearning to provide.

“Ade did have 17 rebounds, and she wanted that 18th one really bad. I told her to get off the free throw line so we could get our defense set, and she was like, ‘Are you sure? Give me one more. Are you sure?‘ Yes, get off the free throw line so we can have a defensive stop,” Elzy recalled after the win.

17 REBOUNDS. 🔥🔥🔥@rachel2beauty pic.twitter.com/BLYmBZJow7

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) March 1, 2023

Although Kentucky dominated Alabama early in the first matchup, the Cats’ offense faltered in the third period. The team scored a mere nine points, allowing Alabama to secure a comfortable lead before the final frame.

Sluggish third quarters have been a recurring issue for Kentucky this season. Yet, like many problems, Kentucky found the solution against Florida. The Cats rattled off 21 points in the third frame against the Gators.

Elzy couldn’t be happier with the change of pace.

“I’m glad we won the third quarter. I did not change up my message. I thought they stayed locked in, and I really tried to keep it light today, not put too much on them. But four minutes at a time, that’s what we kept talking about,” Elzy said.

Four minutes is nice. Forty minutes is better. Kentucky will need every second to take down the Alabama Crimson Tide. The team will face off at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Thursday inside Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.