PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB takes on top-ranked South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena

The now 8-9 (1-2 SEC) Kentucky Women’s Basketball team is going to attempt to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season on Monday. Following a tough loss to Vanderbilt on Thursday, the ‘Cats are heading to Colonial Life Arena to take on the undefeated and top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks in their fourth SEC matchup of the season.

In Thursday’s game against the Commodores, the ‘Cats went 27-67 (40.3%) from the field as a team. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, went 38-65 (58.5%). Not only did the ‘Cats lack point production, but their defense was also under par, letting up 95 points to the ‘Dores. The ‘Cats were also outmatched from the perimeter, only making five of their 19 three-point attempts compared to Vandy’s 9-18 (50%).

Other than the scoring, the only obvious discrepancy between the Commodores and the Wildcats was assists. Vanderbilt gathered a total of 29, while Kentucky only managed 11. A lack of assists coordinates with Kentucky’s inability to keep the ball moving around the court for a shot. The ‘Cats were also out-rebounded, but not by much, only a 39-32 difference. Vanderbilt also made sure to capitalize off of turnovers, scoring 25 of their points off Kentucky’s 14 turnovers. The ‘Cats only scored 10 points off of Vanderbilt’s 13 miscues.

Forward Ajae Petty became the second player in program history to record a 20-20 double-double. The only other player to accomplish this was Valerie Still in 1982. Petty played a phenomenal game, finishing with 23 points and 21 rebounds. The senior also added two steals, two blocks, and an assist. 40 of Kentucky’s points came from inside the paint, with Petty scoring over half of those. Even with one of the best games of her career, the ‘Cats were still unable to come out with a win.

Maddie Scherr and Brooklynn Miles were the only other Wildcats to make it into double digits. Scherr grabbed 20 points, along with three assists, two steals, and a rebound. Miles finished with 11 points, two assists, two rebounds, and a steal. Other than the guards, no one else had anything significant to show for their performance.

In fact, Kentucky didn’t really play bad. Sure, the game was disappointing, but at the same time, Vanderbilt’s Iyana Moore finished with 37 points. The junior only averages 12.7 points per game, so her scoring 37 against Kentucky might have been just a fluke. The guard had a great game, and Kentucky was unable to contain her.

Unfortunately, the ‘Cats could be dealing with five separate Iyana Moore-type performances against South Carolina on Monday, and will need to bring everything they have if they want to come out on top. Tipoff is set for 7:00 ET and will be shown on the SEC Network.

Scouting Report: South Carolina Gamecocks

On Saturday, we went over how Kentucky could pull off the biggest upset in program history, but now we’ll actually break down some of South Carolina’s elite talent individually.

The Gamecocks are headlined by future WNBA draft pick Kamilla Cardoso, who is one of the best players that Kentucky will have faced this season thus far. The 6-7 center currently averages 13.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. She is an elite big who can bully her way around the post. Ajae Petty’s strength and conditioning will be put to the test on Monday night. Fortunately for the ‘Cats, Cardoso struggles with ball control when bodies surround her down low. Kentucky needs to double or even triple-team Cardoso if she gets the ball in the post.

Another player who will give Kyra Elzy some serious headaches is senior guard Ta-Hina Paopao. Paopao just does every little thing right and brings nearly unrivaled energy to the hardwood. It’s evident that she’s a product of Dawn Staley. Paopao averages 12.6 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game. However, the part where she’ll hurt Kentucky the most is her three-point ability. Paopao is the nation’s best three-point shooter, making 56.3% of her shots from deep. Just unreal. But, there’s more.

Unfortunately, the three-point insanity doesn’t stop there. Enter junior guard Bree Hall, who just posted a career-high 21 points against the Missouri Tigers on Thursday. Hall has taken a huge jump from her sophomore season, and she has emerged as one of Dawn Staley’s more reliable scorers. Hall’s 11.0 points per game are good for third-best on the team, but more impressively, her 50.0 three-point percentage is fifth-best in the country.

It would be an injustice to not talk about Ashlyn Watkins, who is arguably the SEC’s best post defender. Watkins averages an SEC-best 2.9 blocks per game along with 7.0 rebounds as well. Playing next to Cardoso, the two make up for one of college basketball’s best frontcourts. LSU’s Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow probably take that claim. However, that’s beside the point. This South Carolina team has a whole lot of size and a whole lot of talent to go with it.