Kentucky WBB falls to Tennessee, 87-69, in SEC showdown

The now 8-8 (1-1 SEC) Kentucky Wildcats fell to the Tennessee Lady Volunteers on Sunday, 87-69. Despite a hard fought battle and a momentary 17-point lead over the Vols, the Cats were unable to pull out a win. Kentucky entered Sunday’s matchup on a four-game win streak following a win in the SEC opener over Arkansas.

Kentucky led the Vols for almost the entire first half, aside from the first 45 seconds of the first quarter. With their largest lead being 17 points, it looked like the Cats were going to pull off the upset easily. However, the Cats were outscored 27-11 in the third quarter and weren’t able to recover for a win.

Eniya Russell led scoring for Kentucky with 16 points. Russell, who averages 8.5 points per game, was the driving in the second half, giving the Cats a chance to come back. Out of the 20 points Kentucky scored in the half, Russell had nine of them. The guard also added five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Another leading scorer for the Cats was Ajae Petty, who finished with 14. Petty secured her ninth double-double of the season, adding on 14 rebounds. The senior also had two steals. Despite the loss, the 6-3 forward proved that being undersized compared to other SEC talent, it will not deter her from getting the job done.

The Big Blue Nation saw one of the best three-point shooting performances from Kentucky we’ve seen so far this season. The Cats went 5-8 (62.5%) in the first half alone. Cassidy Rowe sunk two of those, along with Saniah Tyler. The fifth came from Eniya Russell. The Cats only went 1-9 (11.1%) in the second half from three, the lone shot made by Maddie Scherr. That scoring drought in the third quarter is what ultimately led to the Cats’ demise. Tennessee, with the help of Rickea Jackson (27) and Jewell Spear (21), outscored Kentucky 27-11 in that fateful period.

Maddie Scherr had a decent performance for Kentucky, tallying 13 points and four rebounds. The guard, however, got into foul trouble early in the third quarter, and ultimately fouled out in the fourth. Scherr also picked up five assists.

As a team, Kentucky committed 14 turnovers, with nine of those being in the second half. As for the Vols, they had 16, with 10 of those in the first half. Tennessee capitalized off of their free throw shooting, going 14-19 (73.7%) from the line. Kentucky, on the other hand, only went 5-8 (62.5%).

Up next for the Cats is 14-1 (1-0 SEC) Vanderbilt, on Thursday, Jan. 11. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Rupp Arena and will be streamed on SEC Network+.