Kentucky WBB falls to No. 16 North Carolina 72-53 in Chapel Hill in SEC/ACC Challenge

Kenny Brooks came into this game on a six-game winning streak against North Carolina, and he looked to extend that streak now at Kentucky, but Kentucky fell to the Tar Heels 72-53 in Chapel Hill. Kentucky is now 7-1 on the season, and unfortunately, they weren’t able to get the SEC another win in the SEC/ACC Challenge.

The game started off very, very slow for Kentucky. The offense was stagnant, and Clara Strack picked up two very early fouls. It looked like Kentucky was going to get run off the floor — down 21-6 at one point — but a 10-0 run made it a five-point game heading into the second quarter.

Kentucky’s momentum did not carry over to the second quarter. Georgia Amoore would have 10 points on 4-6 shooting heading into the half, but seemed to be the only one who could find a rhythm offensively. However, she wouldn’t score a single point the rest of the way, ending the game with 10 points on 4-12 (0-5 3PT) shooting.

As for the second half, it got started off in the same way — just slow and hard to watch. Dazia Lawrence started to heat up after the break, however. She would end the game with a team-high 17 points on the night. Strack’s first points of the night came in the third quarter as well. Definitely not ideal.

The fourth quarter was just as bad, unfortunately. North Carolina got out to a 55-39 lead at one point, and the Cats just couldn’t catch back up. Amelia Hassett did everything she could, putting up 13 points on 4-8 shooting from the three. Teonni Key had just seven points against her former team. A bad time for an off night, but they happen.

With that, the Tar Heels won by 19 points.

Next game, Kentucky will take on the Queens Royals (4-3) of the ASUN conference. That game is on Monday, and it’s set to tip off at 6 p.m. EST in Historic Memorial Coliseum. It will be streamed on SEC Network+.