RECAP: Kentucky WBB's bench shines in 67-63 win over Alabama
While all eyes are set on tonight’s Super Bowl, Kentucky Women’s Basketball sneakily secured one of their most vital wins of the season earlier this afternoon.
On Sunday, the Wildcats (10-11) broke a four-game losing streak with a 67-63 victory over Alabama (12-11). The win brings Kentucky’s conference record to 3-8. There were many factors in the ‘Cats vital win; however, none were more important than having a healthy roster.
Today was Kentucky’s second-straight injury-free contest. The team’s good fortune is a change of pace as Kentucky went three weeks without playing a game where all nine scholarship players were available. One of UK’s recent returnees played a significant role for the ‘Cats on Sunday.
Dre’Una Edwards led Kentucky with 24 points and seven rebounds. Edward was aggressive, going 10-23 from the field in 29 minutes of play. The contest was Edwards’ fourth game back since a multi-game suspension back in mid-January.
As a team, Kentucky shot a mediocre 27-72 (38%) on the day. While this figure isn’t horrible, the same can’t be said about UK’s 3-point shooting. The ‘Cats were 3-17 (18%) from deep against the Tide. Despite a poor offensive showing, the ‘Cats stole a massive victory in Alabama.
Kentucky WBB turns up the pressure
The Crimson Tide jumped out to an early lead on the ‘Cats, taking an 11-2 lead almost immediately. Nonetheless, UK battled back. Kentucky utilized a 1-2-2 press to cut its deficit gradually. Head coach Kyra Elzy discussed her thoughts on the team’s aggressive defense.
“Our press was really good. We knew we needed to generate some scoring opportunities off of our defense,” Elzy said during the postgame press conference. “Never let them get settled offensively.”
Elzy’s defensive game plan paid dividends. In the first quarter, Kentucky forced six Alabama turnovers and scored six points off of the Tide’s miscues. With a steal and finish from Emma King, the ‘Cats went into the second period down just 20-19.
Slow second quarter
Kentucky’s defense continued to shine in the second period. At halftime, Alabama had 12 turnovers. For reference, the Tide average 14.8 miscues per contest this season. Unfortunately for the ‘Cats, they couldn’t convert on most of the Tide’s mistakes.
The ‘Cats scored just 10 points in the second frame. Rhyne Howard’s lack of offense is largely to blame for the team’s unimpressive half. The All-American guard only scored four points on 2-5 shooting through the first two quarters.
Worse, the ‘Cats struggled to hit from deep, going 1-11 from 3-point land in the first half. Despite their cold offense, the ‘Cats headed into the halftime break with a 29-28 lead.
Dre’Una Edwards carries the ‘Cats
The beginning of the third period didn’t appear promising for the ‘Cats. With five minutes left in the third, Rhyne Howard picked up her third foul and headed to the bench. With Kentucky’s star down, Edwards stepped up.
The 6-foot-2 forward dropped 12 of her team’s 16 points in the third frame, scoring nine straight for UK during one stretch. After the contest, Edwards spoke on her mindset during her explosive third frame.
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“I just knew Rhyne’s not in the game, so somebody has got to step up,” Edwards said. “We just got to go. So, that was my mentality.”
Fueled by Edwards’ fiery performance, Kentucky went into the final frame narrowly ahead 45-44.
Kentucky WBB claws its way to victory
The fourth quarter was as tight as the rest of the contest. Early in the period, the teams traded blows, exchanging the lead like a hot potato. Treasure Hunt kept the ‘Cats in the game with five points through the first few minutes of the frame.
Powered by a two-minute Alabama scoring drought and Hunt’s offense, Kentucky rattled off a 6-0 run. After a Howard free throw, Kentucky was up by two points with 24 seconds left in the contest. With a much-needed win hanging in the balance, Elzy’s message to her team remained the same.
“We just kept talking about defensive steps. We put ourselves in those positions during practice,” Elzy said. “We’ve been in that situation 1,000 times.”
Elzy’s confidence was contagious. Kentucky ripped Alabama on their final possession of the game to secure a 67-63 victory. In the ‘Cats much-needed win, unexpected scoring and defense were key.
Kentucky’s bench scored 39 of the team’s 67 points. Moreover, all nine of Kentucky’s players scored in the contest. Additionally, the ‘Cats press was instrumental to success. The team scored 18 points off Alabama’s turnovers.
Edwards was Kentucky’s only player to reach double figures. Despite a subpar performance, Howard was UK’s second-leading scorer with nine points. In fairness, Howard led the team with an impressive nine rebounds. Nyah Leveretter was spectacular as well, recording eight points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes of play.
Kentucky must capitalize on this new momentum shift as they head into a busy week. The ‘Cats will play three games over the next seven days. UK will begin this treacherous stretch by taking on Mississippi State at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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