Kentucky WBB falls 95-66 in loss to No. 1 South Carolina

Kentucky Women’s Basketball didn’t win tonight. They didn’t even finish within 10 points of their opponent. But, they took a step in the right direction, and that’s what this team needed.

On Thursday evening, the ‘Cats lost a 95-66 slugfest to No. 1 South Carolina. The loss is Kentucky’s fifth in a row, leaving them winless in the SEC. Despite the somber statistic, it was a good night in Memorial Coliseum.

Kentucky scored the second most points of any opponent against South Carolina this season, but it wasn't good enough, as the Wildcats fall to the No. 1 Gamecocks, 95-66. pic.twitter.com/aFOMYq3bgT

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) January 13, 2023

Maddie Scherr led the ‘Cats with 25 points, four rebounds and six assists while shooting 10-15 from the field and 5-7 from beyond the arc. These passionate performances are becoming a pattern for the Oregon transfer, who dropped 22 points against No. 5 LSU on Sunday.

Scherr was just a small piece in Kentucky’s much-improved formula. The ‘Cats shot 27-64 (42%) from the field and 6-15 (40%) from 3-point range. Although the ‘Cats ultimately fell in this one, they played with more energy than they have all season, and they did it from the start.

Shocking start for Kentucky WBB

Even when she doesn’t win, Kyra Elzy is a thorn in Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley’s side. Right away, Kentucky threw a junk 1-3-1 defense at the Gamecocks only to drop back into a trapping 2-3 zone. The “junk” was Kentucky gold. The ‘Cats forced eight South Carolina turnovers in the first half despite losing Robyn Benton to foul trouble just three minutes into the contest.

As excellent as Kentucky’s defense was early, it paled in comparison to the Wildcats’ offense. Frankly, UK didn’t look like the same team as four days ago in Rupp Arena. Maddie Scherr and Jada Walker had career first halves.

Scherr dropped 15 points while shooting 6-8 from the field and 3-4 from downtown in the game’s first 20 minutes. Walker didn’t trail far behind, adding 13 points to UK’s efforts. A team who four days ago looked scared to shoot, suddenly couldn’t get up shots fast enough.

While Kentucky had the nation’s interest by entering the second quarter down only three points, it demanded fans’ attention with its second-period performance. The ‘Cats began the frame on a 14-1 run, capped off by a Kennedy Cambridge steal turned Scherr 3-pointer to take a 29-20 lead.

🔥🔥🔥#GameOn pic.twitter.com/3PsdWvCSyt

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) January 13, 2023

Unfortunately for BBN, South Carolina wasn’t enjoying the party in Memorial Coliseum. The Gamecocks fired back with a 16-0 run to regain control of the game. Adebola Adeyeye broke South Carolina’s streak with a halftime buzzer-beater to head into the break trailing 37-33.

An unfortunate ending to a fantastic game

The Wildcats’ locker room must have been cold because UK lost their hot hands in the third quarter, shooting a subpar 8-21 from the field. Thankfully, the ‘Cats did have something they didn’t have in the first half: Robyn Benton.

Kentucky’s leading scorer scored seven points in the third frame alone. Combine Benton’s performance with her teammates’ hustle, and the ‘Cats kept it close. Kentucky grabbed five offensive boards in the third compared to South Carolina’s one. Consequently, Kentucky shot more than twice as many shots as the Gamecocks in the frame.

UK crawled into the fourth frame down 59-51. Crawled is an accurate description. The team was visibly exhausted and their old habits surfaced as a result. Kentucky committed eight turnovers in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Moreover, the squad failed to convert from the free-throw line. UK connected on just six of their 14 attempts from the charity stripe throughout the game. Add on a late 12-0 run from South Carolina, and that’s the game. The Gamecocks walked off the hardwood with a 95-66 victory.

Despite being vastly outsized, Kentucky matched South Carolina’s second-chance points. However, UK struggled in their typically strong fast break. The ‘Cats scored two points total in the fast break compared to the Gamecocks’ 21.

Walker scored the second-most points on team, contributing 17 points on 8-18 shooting. Benton rounded out UK’s three-headed monster with 10 points while shooting a poor 3-11 from the field.

With their most brutal stretch of the season in the rearview, the Wildcats are ready to get some wins. The team will take on Florida at 3 p.m. on Sunday in Gainesville. The contest will be broadcast on the SEC Network.