PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB looks to end two-game skid and sweep Georgia

Kentucky has lost two straight games, but the Cats can begin to get things back track if they can get a win over Georgia.

We’ve already previewed the Lady Bulldogs once before this season, but freshen up with KSR’s game preview.

Bio Blast

Despite two straight losses, Kentucky has the chance to defeat Georgia for the second time this season on Sunday. The first time the Cats and ‘Dogs met, Kentucky came out on top in Athens, 78-64. Clara Strack led the team in scoring with 25 points on 9-19 (47%) from the field, plus 12 rebounds. In Kentucky’s loss against No. 3 Texas, Strack fouled out after only 18 minutes of play time, with zero points, so Sunday’s matchup could be a nice bounce back for her. Georgia Amoore was close behind with 24 points on 9-20 (45%) from the field and 5-12 (41%) from three. Both players underperformed from their norms against Texas, so it will be important for the pair to get some momentum against Georgia.

As for the Lady Bulldogs, Trinity Turner and De’Mauri Flournoy both finished with 19 points, being the only two Georgia players in double-digit scoring. They combined for 15-32 from the field, as well as 6-13 from the perimeter. They also finished with four rebounds apiece. Surely, Kentucky’s game plan will be to contain Flournoy and Turner, and let the rest of the team speak for itself. Asia Avinger finished with only eight points on 2-10 (20%) from the field. Fatima Diakhate finished with seven, Summer Davis added five, Miyah Verse had four, and Mia Woolfolk only had two.

During the last matchup, Georgia actually beat Kentucky in points off of turnovers. In fact, Georgia only had 11 turnovers compared to Kentucky’s 16. Off of the Wildcats’ miscues, the Bulldogs scored 18 points, while Kentucky had 15. It will be important for the Wildcats to protect the ball in order to come out with a win. Other than that, Kentucky needs to dominate the paint, and hope for a stellar performance from Amelia Hassett, who’s only had two points in the past two games. Plus, Georgia scored 15 more bench points than Kentucky, given that their rotation is a lot more flexible than Kenny Brooks’. The Cats came out on a hot start the last time these two met, so if you do the same thing in Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, there’s no doubt that this game will be a wonderful bounce back from the past week.

Scouting Report

Last time Kentucky and Georgia met, De’Mauri Flournoy proved why she is the Lady Bulldogs’ best player. She’s averaging a team-high 12.1 points per game while knocking down 41.3% of her three-point attempts. Against Kentucky, she had 19 points as she shot 4-9 from deep.

Flournoy wasn’t the only Georgia player to score 19 points against Kentucky either. Trinity Turner also had 19 points in that game, shooting 8-15 (2-4 3PT) from the field while grabbing two rebounds along the way. The 5-foot-6 freshman guard is averaging 11.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

In the meeting in Athens, Kentucky won by getting out to a fast start. A very, very fast one, that is. Through 10 minutes of play, the Cats had Georgia down 23-4. Of course, Kentucky seemed to coast the rest of the game, winning by just 14 points, but if they want to sweep the season series, getting out to yet another fast start would be huge in that.

Georgia Lady Bulldogs Roster

Projected Kentucky Starters

#3 – Georgia Amoore

5-FOOT-6 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

19.0 PPG – 7.2 APG – 2.2 RPG

#7 – Teonni Key

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

11.7 PPG – 8.4 RPG – 1.8 BPG

#10 – Dazia Lawrence

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – REDSHIRT SENIOR

13.0 PPG – 2.2 APG – 2.1 RPG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – SOPHOMORE

14.7 PPG – 9.4 RPG – 2.8 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-3 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

9.6 PPG – 8.6 RPG – 2.0 APG

Initial Availability Report

Starting this season in conference play, SEC teams are required to release an availability report, listing players and their injury statuses for their upcoming game.

Here is the initial report for Kentucky-Georgia:

The final availability report will be available closer to game time.

**Note: Kentucky’s Dominika Paurová is not listed as “Out” because she is completely exempt from the season due to an ACL tear she suffered in the offseason. Jordan Obi, who also suffered a lower leg injury in the summer, may return to the hardwood this season, hence why her name appears on the availability report.**

How to Watch/Listen

Place	Tipoff	TV	Radio	Live Stats
Historic Memorial Coliseum (Lexington, KY)	2 p.m. ET	SEC Network+ (Jeff Piecoro and Christi Thomas)	630 WLAP, 790 WKRD (Darren Headrick)	StatBroadcast

Follow Along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG

Unable to watch the game? Don’t worry — we’ll be providing real-time updates throughout to keep you informed on the action. Follow along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG, which will get rolling on the website an hour before the game starts.

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).