Kentucky WBB's scoring issues surface once more against Georgia

The Kentucky women’s basketball team has a scoring problem.

In the Wildcats’ 50-40 loss to Georgia on Thursday evening, UK’s offense hit a new low. The team shot 14-50 (28%) from the field and 4-14 (29%) from beyond the arc. The disastrous ingredients combined for Kentucky’s lowest-scoring output of the season.

Shooter’s mentality

Kentucky head coach Kyra Elzy believes the issue is more mental than physical.

“Let’s call it what it is. I thought we had some point-blank layups. We had some open jumpers. They did not go in,” Elzy said during the postgame press conference on Thursday. “We miss a few and then we hang on to every shot like, ‘Oh, that one didn’t go in.'”

Elzy wants her team to be like a faulty computer, wiping its memory after every action.

“[I’m] trying to teach them to play in fast forward instead of rewind. You miss one? Let’s try to not miss the second one or the third one. Try to stay positive, see the ball go in.”

Strong fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough. pic.twitter.com/VRLqb5Tdi2

— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) February 17, 2023

Kentucky’s offense is missing two key pieces

Of course, it’s difficult to be positive when you’re without two of your leading scorers. Elzy made the team aware before shootaround that Maddie Scherr (illness) and Robyn Benton (ankle) would be out against Georgia. The team felt their absence.

Benton leads the team with 17.5 points per game. Scherr adds 10.5 points per game while leading the ‘Cats with 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest. Without the dynamic duo, Kentucky’s offense looked lost, repeatedly going on extended scoring droughts.

Between the second and third period, UK scored a mere 12 points. The downward spiral was highlighted by a scoreless five minutes to conclude the first half. Following the loss, Adebola Adeyeye discussed the team’s mindset without its two stars.

“We really wanted to come out tonight and play for them and play for us. We had to understand that while yes, they are gone, we are going to have to step up, and come into a different role and believe in each other, and just fill in that gap.”

Not a player problem

The ‘Cats failed to mend the hole left by Scherr and Benton. However, the pair’s absence isn’t all to blame. Kentucky’s offensive issues aren’t new. In the three games prior to Thursday night, Kentucky failed to shoot above 40% from the field.

Freshman guard Amiya Jenkins is using the adversity as motivation moving forward.

“We just have to use it to learn from our mistakes and realize we do have this goal and when we get to the tournament, it is basically 0-0 again. So, it is a new start,” Jenkins said.

With three games left in Kentucky’s regular season, that new start is just over the horizon. Watch the Wildcats attempt to recover as they face off against Vanderbilt at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.