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PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB hits the road for must-have win vs. Missouri

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•02/24/22•

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Photo by Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

Thursday night’s game will make or break Kentucky Women’s Basketball’s season.

At 8 p.m. tonight, the ‘Cats (13-11) will square off against the Missouri Tigers (17-10) in Mizzou Arena. Kentucky is currently on a four-game winning streak and sits at No. 10 in SEC standings. Moreover, with a win over Missouri, UK could shoot as high as No. 7 in the conference standings.

Kentucky’s recent success is no coincidence. The team is finally healthy, and their play reflects it. The ‘Cats picked up two Quadrant 1 wins over Arkansas and Alabama in the past week. A victory over Missouri will be another significant addition to their March Madness resume.

Nonetheless, the Tigers won’t make it easy. With the regular season coming to a close, every team will be fighting like their season depends on it. And in this case, it does.

Talking about the Tigers

Missouri is entering Thursday night’s game off an impressive 10-point victory over Mississippi State. However, just two games before the win, the Tigers lost to Arkansas by 17; the same Arkansas squad Kentucky beat by 23 on Feb. 20.

In other words, Missouri is unpredictable. Led by head coach Robin Pingeton, the Tigers are scoring at a clip of 71 points per game while holding their opponents to 66.5 points per outing. Missouri’s strength is their 3-point shooting.

Connecting on 38.6% of their attempts from beyond the arc, the Tigers have the fourth-best 3-point shooting percentage in the nation. While the figure is impressive, it’s also the reason behind the team’s inconsistency. Teams who live by the 3 die by the 3.

One player who’s not dependent on the deep ball is junior Aijha Blackwell. The 6-foot guard is a double-double machine, averaging 15.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per contest. However, Blackwell isn’t without her flaws. Blackwell has a .6 assist-to-turnover ratio, making her a target for Kentucky’s pesky defense.

Although Blackwell isn’t a sharpshooter from deep, Hayley Frank is a deadeye. The 6-foot-1 forward contributes 15.1 points while making 45% of her attempts from deep. Frank isn’t limited to shooting. The junior snags 4.6 rebounds a night and leads the team in blocks.

The final piece to Missouri’s three-headed monster is Lauren Hansen. The 5-foot-8 guard adds 11.4 points per game while hitting 39.7% of her attempts from range. Clearly, Missouri has no shortage of offensive threats.

Nonetheless, the same can’t be said for their defense. Missouri only averages 5.9 steals and 1.7 blocks per contest. The shockingly low figures are some of the worst in the nation, and Kentucky will hope to make those statistics even worse tonight.

Keys for Kentucky WBB

There’s little the ‘Cats aren’t doing well right now. In the past three games, Kentucky has shot 39.6% from beyond the arc. The team’s offensive surge is long overdue.

UK’s 10 baskets from deep on Sunday was the first time Kentucky hit double-digit 3-pointers in a game since Dec. 1 versus West Virginia. Head coach Kyra Elzy discussed the team’s uptick in shooting after Kentucky’s win on Sunday.

“Rhythm 3’s have always been great for this team, so it’s good to see them going in,” Elzy said during the postgame press conference. “We practice extremely well, so I just think a lot of it’s confidence.”

It’s easier to be confident when you’re open. Kentucky has recently rediscovered the ball movement that made them so successful early in the season. Against both Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, the ‘Cats dished out 20+ assists.

For reference, the ‘Cats were yet to have more than 15 assists in an SEC game before these contests. UK’s improved passing isn’t only a promising sign on the stat sheet, but on the court, as well.

“I think we’re moving the ball so much better, and we got a lot of people involved,” Elzy said on Sunday. “We’re seeing the fruits of our labor.“

Perhaps the most significant factor fueling Kentucky’s recent win streak is a new outlook. The ‘Cats suffered through a grueling three weeks of adversity, including numerous injuries and a suspension. Now, Kentucky is at full strength.

For the first time this season, the ‘Cats see what they’re capable of. Elzy is excited by the results.

“We have weathered the storm, had some tough times. But that’s part of the basketball season. There’s ebbs and flows,” Elzy said. “I’m glad we’re playing some of our best basketball right now.”

Kentucky will have a chance to play their best basketball again tonight at 8 p.m. in Mizzou Arena. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

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