PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB aims to upset Tennessee in SEC Tournament semis
On Friday, Kentucky Women’s Basketball got fans’ attention. 24 hours later, they’re ready to put on a show.
On Saturday night, the No. 7 seed Wildcats (17-11, 8-8) will take on the No. 3 seed Tennessee Volunteers (23-7, 11-5) in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. Kentucky is entering the contest after stunning No. 6 LSU in a convincing 78-63 victory. The win was UK’s eighth in a row.
Similar to LSU, Tennessee has already defeated Kentucky once this season. However, the contest wasn’t even close. On Jan. 16, the Volunteers dominated Kentucky in an 84-58 blowout. With all their players healthy, Kentucky had no excuses.
The ‘Cats will aim to flip the script on Tennessee in tonight’s contest. Nonetheless, the Volunteers won’t go down without a fight.
Let’s talk about Tennessee
Although the Volunteers handily defeated Alabama in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament, they’re certainly not on a winning streak. Tennessee has only won two of its past five contests, including a loss to LSU at home.
Despite its recent losses, No. 18 Tennessee still has imposing statistics. Led by head coach Kellie Harper, the Volunteers average 69.8 points per game while holding their opponents to 59.4 points a night.
Size is a key to Tennesee’s success. The team snags a jaw-dropping 48.1 rebounds per outing, the second-most in the nation. Tennessee’s rebounding prowess was on display when they defeated Kentucky. The Volunteers out-rebounded the ‘Cats 50-29.
Moreover, the Volunteers block nearly 15% of their opponents’ shot attempts, the third-best in the country. Tennesse’s starting center Tamari Key stands at 6-foot-6. For reference, Kentucky’s star big Dre’Una Edwards is 6-foot-2.
Tennesse’s game isn’t limited to the paint, though. Senior Rae Burrell averages 11.6 points per outing while shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-1 combo guard torched Kentucky from deep in their last meeting, going 4-4 from range.
As mentioned previously, Key is as good as advertised. The towering threat contributes 10.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and a ridiculous 3.7 blocks per game. Key didn’t dominate against the ‘Cats but did have a solid game with six points and six boards.
Alexus Dye is the final cog in Tennessee’s offensive machine. The 6-foot forward adds 9.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. Dye was a menace in Tennessee’s win over Kentucky, dropping nine points and seven rebounds.
As tough as Tennessee is, they won’t be at full strength. The team is missing its star player Jordan Horston after she suffered a fractured dislocation of her left elbow on Feb. 17. Kentucky will take all the advantages they can find as they look to exact revenge on the Volunteers.
Keys for Kentucky WBB
If Kentucky doesn’t clean the glass, Tennessee will mop the floor with them. In Tennessee’s triumph over the ‘Cats, Tennessee scored 22 second-chance points compared to UK’s mere eight.
Luckily for Kentucky, they’re on the right track. UK has out-rebounded their opponent over their past seven games. Rebounding isn’t the only thing head coach Kyra Elzy is concerned about. When asked what will be key in Saturday’s contest, Elzy was concise.
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“We have to do what we do best, and that’s transition offense and being relentless defensively,” Elzy said following the Wildcats’ win over LSU.
Kentucky didn’t win the defensive battle the last time they squared off against the Volunteers. UK committed 19 turnovers while Tennessee committed 18. Both teams scored 18 points off of each other’s miscues.
Nonetheless, Kentucky’s defense appears better than ever. The team forced 13 LSU turnovers on Friday evening. Further, the ‘Cats scored twice as many points off miscues than the Tigers. Howard spoke on the team’s pesky defense after the win.
“We were very aggressive from the jump, and we knew with our pressure defensively, and we could force a few turnovers, which would lead into easy buckets,” Howard said during the postgame press conference.
No matter how well Kentucky defends, they won’t come away with a win unless they shoot well. In their loss to Tennessee, the ‘Cats shot a poor 4-18 from 3-point land, a far cry from the team’s recent shooting performances.
In UK’s past five games, the team has shot 38.9% from downtown. Whether the ‘Cats shoot the ball well or not against Tennessee, Elzy is proud of the progress her team has made both on and off the court.
“I’m proud of this team. Man, the resiliency, the toughness, the togetherness, they believe in each other,” Elzy said.
Big Blue Nation believes in them too. Kentucky will face the LSU Tigers in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament at approximately 7:30 p.m. EST on Saturday in Bridgestone Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
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