PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB faces Purdue Fort Wayne in quick turnaround

Following a thrilling 71-61 overtime win over Louisville on Saturday, Kentucky is forced to make a quick turnaround, and now, the ‘Cats take on the Mastodons of Purdue Fort Wayne (2-1, 0-0 Horizon).

Bio Blast

With only one day in between what would be one of the biggest wins of the season, and Monday’s matchup against Purdue Fort Wayne, the ‘Cats have a bit of adjusting to do. Instead of facing a big, aggressive team like they did on Saturday, Kentucky is going to face a smaller, three-point focused squad in the Mastodons.

Last season, the Mastodons finished 23-13 (13-7 Horizon League). Currently, Purdue Fort Wayne is projected to finish third in the Horizon League behind Cleveland State and Green Bay. The Mastodons’ only loss comes from Purdue, an 87-77 deficit on the road. Purdue is scoring about 84.3 PPG, which ranks them at 40th in the country. Kentucky, on the other hand, is scoring 78.8 points per game, putting the ‘Cats at 68th.

Despite being a lesser-known team in Indiana, Purdue Fort Wayne is full of veteran players. Graduate guard Amellia Bromenschenkel was named to the Preseason All-League First team. However, the tallest player on the team is Jazzlyn Linbo, standing at just 6-foot-2. So, Kentucky does have the height advantage, but not necessarily the three-point advantage. As it stands, the Mastodons are shooting 39.1% from the perimeter, putting them at 41st in the country. Kentucky is shooting 27.6% from three, and is ranked at 241st.

Projected Starters (lineup used on Nov. 12)

• #5 – Audra Emmerson: 5-foot-7 senior guard
• #11 – Sydney Freeman: 5-foot-8 fifth-year guard
• #13 – Amellia Bromenschenkel: 5-foot-11 graduate guard
• #21 – Jazzlyn Linbo: 6-foot-2 senior forward
• #22 – Lauren Ross: 5-foot-10 graduate guard

Scouting Report

The Mastodons are a very good team when it comes to putting the ball in the hoop, and fifth-year senior Lauren Ross is the leading scorer for Purdue Fort Wayne. She averages 14.7 points per game on 51.9% shooting from the field, but she’s most dangerous from beyond the arc. The 5-foot-10 guard is shooting 50% from the three this season.

Then, Amellia Bromenschenkel has a resume as long her last name. As mentioned before, she was a Preseason All-Conference player, but her career at Purdue Fort Wayne has been impressive. Each year, she’s continually improved, and now, she’s a dangerous shooter and an underrated rebounder.

She is averaging 11.7 points per game while shooting 36.4% from deep, and she grabs 5.0 rebounds per game as well. Bromenschenkel is an impressive player that can hurt Kentucky a ton if they don’t account for her like they should.

Jazzlyn Linbo, who averages a team high 6.0 rebounds per game, is another player who could be effective against the Cats. She scored 9.3 points and 1.7 blocks per game as well. However, at just 6-foot-2, she may have a difficult time against Kentucky’s sizable frontcourt.

Projected Kentucky Starters

#3 – Georgia Amoore

5-FOOT-6 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

13.5 PPG – 8.5 APG – 3.8 RPG

#7 – Teonni Key

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

11.5 PPG – 8.5 RPG – 2.8 BPG

#10 – Dazia Lawrence

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – REDSHIRT SENIOR

13.0 PPG – 2.0 APG – 1.5 RPG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – SOPHOMORE

16.3 PPG – 10.8 RPG – 4.5 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-3 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

8.3 PPG – 11 RPG – 1.5 APG

How to Watch/Listen

Place	Tipoff	TV	Radio	Live Stats
Historic Memorial Coliseum (Lexington, KY)	6 p.m. EST	SEC Network+ (Jeff Piecoro and Christi Thomas)	98.5 FM ICONS, Talk Radio 1080 and SiriusXM Channel 106 or 190 (Darren Headrick)	StatBroadcast

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