Kentucky WBB falls 87-69 in loss at No. 1 South Carolina
Losing hurts, even when nobody expects you to win.
On Thursday evening, Kentucky women’s basketball (10-12; 2-8 SEC) dropped its second game of the season to the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (22-0, 10-0 SEC) in an 87-69 loss. The ‘Cats had high hopes after defeating Missouri by 23 points on Sunday. Nonetheless, South Carolina proved to be too much for Kentucky.
Well, most of Kentucky. As usual, Robyn Benton lit up the scoreboard. The graduate student dropped 24 points while shooting 5-17 from the field and 1-4 from beyond the arc. While Benton struggled from the field, she shot 13-14 from the free-throw line.
As a team, UK went 19-63 (30%) from the field and 6-17 (35%) from 3-point land. The team played more one-on-one than five-on-five. Kentucky had just six assists in the contest. While the ‘Cats ultimately struggled, the team was competitive early.
Kentucky puts up a fight in the first half
Kentucky knows how to annoy the Gamecocks. The ‘Cats began the game in a 2-3 zone packed tighter than a vacation suitcase. The ploy worked early. UK only trailed South Carolina by one point eight minutes into the game.
Unfortunately, Kentucky’s dense defense came with a cost: foul trouble. Before UK escaped the first frame, both Nyah Leveretter and Adebola Adeyeye had two fouls. The top two forwards’ absence was evident.
South Carolina outscored Kentucky 11-2 to close the first quarter and strolled into the second period with a 26-18 lead. For a moment, the streak seemed to snowball. The Gamecocks scored six straight to open the second quarter and Kyra Elzy called a desperation timeout.
Thankfully for the ‘Cats, when all else fails, Benton doesn’t. The 5-foot-9 guard turned up her intensity and recorded 13 first-half points. However, Benton’s height prevented her from being able to plug Kentucky’s most detrimental issue.
The ‘Cats desperately needed to rebound. At halftime, South Carolina had twice as many total rebounds as Kentucky and tripled them in offensive boards. Due to their dominance on the glass, the Gamecocks entered the second half ahead 50-35.
A fruitless effort
Kentucky sped into the second half, rattling off seven unanswered points after the break. The Wildcats’ streak slowed when Leveretter picked up her fourth foul three minutes into the third quarter. Adeyeye followed Leveretter’s lead, picking up her third foul with six and a half minutes remaining in the period.
South Carolina took advantage of the moment, going on a 6-0 run of its own. The fiery run ignited a wildfire for the Gamecocks. The team was everywhere the ‘Cats turned, recording nine blocks in the third period alone.
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Despite Kentucky making a strong opening statement in the third quarter, South Carolina had the last laugh, running away with a 67-50 lead into the final frame. The ‘Cats didn’t lie down in their grave in the fourth, but they weren’t digging themselves out either… Until halfway through the quarter.
With five minutes left in the contest, Maddie Scherr fouled Ashlyn Watkins on the fastbreak to prevent a crowd-craved dunk. Watkins took exception, getting nose-to-nose with Scherr instantly after the foul. Kentucky received free throws and some bonus motivation.
Immediately following the incident, the ‘Cats forced three South Carolina turnovers in 50 seconds. The team battled to the end, only losing the fourth quarter by one point. Unfortunately, the teams played 30 minutes before that. South Carolina walked away with an 87-69 victory.
Looking at Kentucky’s stats
In the loss, the Gamecocks outscored Kentucky in the paint 62-14. Obviously, South Carolina’s size was a defining factor. Aliyah Boston snagged 14 boards, contributing to South Carolina’s 21 second-chance points.
On the bright side, Kentucky was fantastic from the free-throw line, shooting 25-26 from the stripe. Additionally, the ‘Cats won the turnover battle, forcing 18 South Carolina turnovers while throwing away 17 possessions themselves.
On offense, Benton wasn’t the only ‘Cat who made an impact. Blair Green was extremely efficient, recording 11 points while shooting 4-8 from the field and 3-4 from downtown. Maddie Scherr added 11 points, as well.
Kentucky has a week to mourn its loss despite some positive takeaways. The ‘Cats will battle for playoff position against Alabama at 7 p.m. on Feb. 9 in Memorial Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.
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