Kentucky WBB drops last-second 77-76 loss to Mississippi State

Although it appeared as if Kentucky had found the road to success, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

On Sunday afternoon, Kentucky narrowly fell to Mississippi State Bulldogs 77-76. The loss is more than a tally on the team’s record. It’s a heartbreaking reset to square one. After picking up their first SEC win last Sunday, the ‘Cats aimed to start a streak. Unfortunately for Kentucky, the team just missed the bullseye.

Cats lose by one point at The Hump. pic.twitter.com/k219OiOqZI

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) January 22, 2023

Robyn Benton led UK with 24 points and seven assists while shooting 8-17 from the field. Benton has scored double figures in every game this season. Benton rarely came off the court, playing 38 minutes.

Benton wasn’t the only ‘Cat who put in work. Kentucky shot 24-53 (45%) from the field and a respectable 7-18 (39%) from 3-point range. Moreover, Kentucky was a near perfect 21-24 (88%) from the line. Kentucky didn’t have trouble putting the ball in the basket. It was the little things that killed the ‘Cats.

Back-and-forth first half

Those little things did not seem to affect the team early. Jada Walker came out firing against the Bulldogs, drilling back-to-back 3’s to sparkplug Kentucky’s offense. UK’s defense was equally lethal, forcing eight Mississippi State turnovers in the first quarter.

After a late 7-0 run, the ‘Cats strolled into the second frame with an 18-8 lead. Despite the team’s sizzling start, Blair Green picked up her second foul just two minutes into the second frame and sat the rest of the half. The ‘Cats clearly missed Green’s veteran poise.

Cats take a 10-point lead into the second quarter.@kencambridge_ 🤝 pic.twitter.com/otsPfZAYrX

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) January 22, 2023

Kentucky committed six turnovers in the second period. Consequently, UK did not make a field goal for the final five minutes of the half. To add insult to injury, Kentucky failed to clean the glass. The Bulldogs grabbed seven offensive boards through the first 20 minutes compared to Kentucky’s one.

Simply put, Mississippi State played a better second period. Seven of MSU’s nine players scored in the first half. Only four players scored for the ‘Cats. Despite the team’s shortcomings, the ‘Cats took a 33-28 lead into halftime.

Kentucky comes up short

Kentucky sputtered out of the break, allowing a 10-0 Mississippi State run. Nonetheless, the ‘Cats fought tooth and nail to gradually cut their deficit. The progressive comeback had a pivotal moment halfway through the period.

With 3:44 left in the third, Benton picked up her third foul. Most coaches would sideline Benton. Most coaches aren’t Kyra Elzy. The 44-year-old head coach kept Benton on the floor and Kentucky cut the Bulldogs’ lead to two heading into the final 10 minutes of the contest.

My gooooddnesssss…@madd1escherr pic.twitter.com/iQ5YDI1jiA

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) January 22, 2023

While most of the game was a battle of runs, the fourth was a tit-for-tat war. The teams went back and forth as if they were playing ping pong. The fun game came to an ugly halt when Maddie Scherr picked up her fourth foul nearly halfway through the quarter.

When Scherr went to the sideline, Benton and Walker stepped into the spotlight. The two guards combined for 23 points in the fourth quarter. Specifically, Benton went on a clutch nine-point run by herself.

With 23 seconds left in the game, Scherr drove to the basket on a fastbreak, looking to tie the game at 74 points. MSU star Jessika Carter slid over and took a charge on Scherr, leading to her fifth foul. Depite the difficult circumstances, Kentucky refused to surrender and it led to a last-second chance.

The ‘Cats had the ball at halfcourt with 3.2 seconds left down by one point. They inbounded the rock to Benton, who subsequently drove to the right. The 5-foot-9 guard hurled the ball toward the rim over two defenders, looking for a foul. Instead of a referee’s whistle, all Kentucky heard was the heartbreaking buzzer signaling its loss.

In the end, Mississippi State defeated the Wildcats 77-76. Kentucky had its moments. The team forced 19 Mississippi State turnovers, three more than the Bulldogs’ average. Additionally, Kentucky dominated in transition, doubling MSU’s fastbreak points.

However, the ‘Cats failed to rebound. UK grabbed 17 less boards than the Bulldogs. As a result, Mississippi State took six more shots than Kentucky and more than doubled the team’s points in the paint. The loss is stings after a few spectacular individual performances.

Right by Benton’s side, Walker and Scherr were phenomenal. Walker recorded 22 points while shooting 7-13 from the field and 3-5 from deep. As usual, Scherr stuffed the stat sheet, recorded 16 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Hopefully for the ‘Cats, they can learn to transform their golden performances into shiny victories. The team’s next game will be on Thursday against Auburn at 7 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.