Kentucky WBB ends season in heartbreaking 80-71 loss to Tennessee
The clock struck midnight early for the Kentucky women’s basketball team this year.
On Friday evening, the No. 14 seed Cats fell 80-71 to the No. 3 seed Tennessee Volunteers in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. In the Cats’ short stay in Greenville, they made some noise. The team upset Florida and Alabama in 48 hours before taking Tennessee down to the wire.
Robyn Benton was a key factor behind Kentucky’s improbable run. The 5-foot-9 guard recorded 20 points while shooting 8-21 from the field. The performance was a significant bounce back for Benton, who failed to score a single point on Thursday evening.
As a team, Kentucky shot 27-71 (38%) from the field and 8-23 (35%) from beyond the arc. Additionally, the team dished out 12 assists in the loss. The Cats never led the Volunteers on Thursday evening, but the win was certainly never out of reach.
Back-and-forth from first half
The first half was a game of runs, and Tennessee made the first move. Before Kentucky blinked, the Vols were ahead 11-2. Tennessee forward Tess Darby energized Tennessee’s electric start, shooting 3-3 from deep in the period.
The Cats didn’t let the sluggish start discourage them. They responded with an 8-0 run to cut Tennessee’s lead to two points. Seemingly angered by UK’s comeback attempt, the Volunteers rattled off a 10-2 scoring burst to end the period, securing a comfortable 27-17 lead.
Robyn Benton got caught in Kentucky’s backslide, picking up her second foul before the frame ended. Kentucky was without its leading scorer in the second period, and it wasn’t a secret. The team went on a five-minute scoring drought, recording five turnovers in a mere four minutes.
The Vols smelled blood in the water, running up their lead to 36-19. However, it suddenly seemed like Tennessee was the prey. Kentucky refused to go away, dropping 11-straight points. Nonetheless, the admirable surge was only enough to cut Tennessee’s lead to 38-30 entering the halftime break.
Kentucky come up short in the second half
Benton seemingly spread the foul bug to her teammates in the locker room. Before Kentucky hit the halfway mark in the third period, Maddie Scherr, Adebola Adeyeye and Ajae Petty each had three fouls. Already trailing, Kentucky had no choice but to leave her Cats in the contest.
Just like the night before, Elzy’s gamble paid off. Kentucky caused four Tennessee turnovers in four minutes. In turn, the Cats chipped away at the Volunteers’ lead, bringing Tennessee’s lead to 53-48 before the final frame.
Kentucky has soldiers, but Tennessee has stars. The difference was obvious in the final 10 minutes of the game. Rickea Jackson had her way in the fourth, finishing the game with 34 points while shooting 10-15 from the field and a perfect 14-14 from the charity stripe. Jordan Horston added 15 points in the second half, as well.
Despite Tennessee’s spectacular performances, the turning point for the Vols was nothing they did. With 7:49 left in the fourth quarter, Petty raked her hand through Darby’s hair, leading to an intentional foul and disqualification. After Jackson drained two free throws, Tennessee took a six-point lead and never looked back.
The final three minutes of fallout were difficult to watch for Kentucky. Adeyeye fouled out. She was shortly followed by Scherr. Kentucky came close time and time again, only for Tennessee to make a few free throws on the opposite end of the court. In the end, Tennessee pulled out an 80-71 victory.
In the loss, the Volunteers dominated the board, out-rebounding Kentucky 43-24. Additionally, Tennessee scored four more second-chance points than UK. In typical fashion, Kentucky won the turnover battle, forcing 22 Tennessee mistakes. Moreover, the Cats dropped 28 points off Tennessee’s turnovers.
The positive figures weren’t enough. Kentucky had three Cats score double figures besides Benton. Scherr went 13 points and five assists on 5-11 shooting. Walker added 12 points and four rebounds to the Cats’ effort. Petty rounded out the crew with 11 points and five rebounds before being disqualified.
Kentucky was the first 14-seed to reach the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. Sadly for the Cats, they won’t be the first last-place team to win the whole thing.
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