RECAP: Kentucky WBB stuns No. 6 LSU with 78-63 win in SEC Tournament quarterfinals
Kentucky Women’s Basketball got revenge, a top-10 upset and an SEC Tournament victory all in one night.
On Friday evening, the No. 7 seed Wildcats (17-11, 8-8) shocked the nation with a 78-63 triumph over the No. 2 seed LSU Tigers (25-5, 13-3) in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. Despite LSU coming in as the No. 6 team in the nation and defeating UK earlier this season, Kentucky dominated round two.
The Wildcat victory is their eigth win in a row. Conversely, the contest was LSU’s first loss since Jan. 27. For the second night in a row, Kentucky had numerous ‘Cats with outstanding performances. Nonetheless, one stood above the rest.
Rhyne Howard led Kentucky with 32 points while shooting 11-18 from the field and 6-8 from beyond the arc. Howard did more than score, recording three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Howard’s hot hand was contagious, too.
For the contest, the Wildcats were 29-65 (45%) from the field and 9-19 (47%) from 3-point land. Additionally, Kentucky outrebounded LSU 39-35. To top it off, Kentucky’s ball movement was impeccable, dishing out 20 assists. A brick wall couldn’t stop Kentucky’s current momentum.
Kentucky WBB can’t miss early
Kentucky’s first period was simply ridiculous. The ‘Cats began the game on an 8-2 run, and never slowed down. UK couldn’t miss from beyond the arc early, going 4-5 from deep in the frame.
The Wildcats had a scare in the first few minutes of the game when Howard headed to the bench after twisting her right ankle. Nonetheless, a slight sprain couldn’t stop Howard. Upon her return, Howard torched the Tigers, draining three straight baskets from range.
Followed up by a Robyn Benton 3-pointer, Howard and the ‘Cats rattled off a 12-2 run. Kentucky’s hot hands carried them to a comfortable 25-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Defense sparks success in the second quarter
Much to the Tigers’ chagrin, not much changed in the second period. UK started the period on a 12-4 run. Moreover, the ‘Cats hit another four 3-pointers to increase their first-half total to eight baskets from deep.
Kentucky’s defense was just as impressive as their offense. UK forced eight LSU turnovers in the first half. For reference, the Tigers only committed eight total turnovers in their first meeting with the ‘Cats.
UK capitalized on LSU’s miscues, scoring 10 points off the Tigers’ turnovers. Howard discussed the team’s defensive success after the contest.
“We were just clicking on all cylinders. We were very aggresive from the jump,” Howard said during the postgame press conference. “With our pressure, defensively, we could force a few turnovers which would lead to easy buckets.”
Howard couldn’t have been more right. After their playing their best half of the season, Kentucky strolled into the halftime break ahead 45-25 on the No. 6 team in the country.
Kentucky WBB hits slump
Unfortunately for Kentucky, LSU wouldn’t be deterred by their halftime deficit. The Tigers began the period on a 6-0 run and stayed hot throughout the period.
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The Tigers outscored Kentucky 21-12 in the period while shooting an impressive 9-15 from the field. In contrast, UK couldn’t buy a basket. The team shot a horrific 5-17 from the field in the third frame with Howard contributing a mere two points.
After the win, Howard spoke on her message to the team during the rough patch.
“We basically said, ‘Let’s lock in,'” Howard recalled. “You never know what can happen with that much time left in the game. With them cutting the lead, we knew we were losing focus and we just had to regroup.”
Closing out the period on a 13-2 stretch, LSU went into the final 10 minutes of the contest down just 57-46.
Kentucky WBB terminates the Tigers
Kentucky switched up their defensive look to start the final frame, running a 2-3 zone on defense. LSU head coach Kim Mulkey called a timeout to adjust, only for the ‘Cats to switch back to a man-to-man.
LSU’s confusion was palpable as the ‘Cats ran off seven unanswered points. On the other end of the court, the Tigers struggled to score, going on a near four-minute scoring drought. LSU’s frustrations came to a head when Mulkey picked up a technical foul with 1:36 left in the game.
Mulkey’s explosion may as well have been a white flag. After outscoring LSU 21-17 in the fourth quarter, Kentucky danced off the court with a convincing 78-63 win.
Kentucky outplayed LSU at every turn of the contest. The ‘Cats had more than four times as many second-chance points as LSU, despite grabbing the same amount of offensive rebounds. Moreover, despite being the shorter team, UK had eight blocks compared to LSU’s mere three.
Including Howard, Kentucky had four players score double figures. Dre’Una Edwards had her 11th double-double of the season, dropping 13 points and 10 rebounds. Treasure Hunt contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. To top it off, Benton added 11 points of her own.
There will be little time for Kentucky too cool off before their next game. The Wildcats will face off against the winner of Alabama and Tennessee at 7:30 p.m. EST on Saturday in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
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