AUBURN, Ala. — Kentucky is crazy about defense.
Of this Auburn Coach Nell Fortner is sure after watching the sixth-ranked Cats force her team into 30 turnovers Thursday night.
"It's unlike anything we've played against this year," she said of Kentucky's pressure.
"It's a reckless-abandon pressure," Fortner said. "You don't know when a trap's coming. You don't know. It's like a reckless abandon that has purpose, and they play it well."
Kentucky definitely played it well at Auburn, winning 66-48 after scoring 38 points off those turnovers. It was the most miscues forced by a Kentucky team against a Southeastern Conference opponent in the Matthew Mitchell era.
"I'm really, really proud of that," he said when told of the number. "That's a significant feat."
It was the Cats' eighth straight win and helped them remain on top of the conference.
"Everybody was hustling," Mitchell said. "We have a very unique group of young women, and it doesn't look to me like they care who gets the credit. They share the basketball. They fight for each other on the defensive end."
It was defense that sparked a 17-0 run that helped the Cats come from five points down and take a 31-20 lead at halftime.
During that time, Auburn went 8 minutes and 27 seconds between points as UK pushed the tempo and forced eight turnovers.
"Their pressure is intense," Fortner said. "They make it very hard for you to score."
And when you're not scoring, UK is, said Blanche Alverson, who led the Tigers (10-11, 2-6 SEC) with 15 points.
"That's what Kentucky feeds on," she said. "When you're playing a team like Kentucky, you just have to be poised and not turn the ball over."
During the spree, five UK players scored, including Maegan Conwright, who had six of her 10 points in the run, which was the Cats' largest in SEC play this season.
"We share the ball as a team," said junior A'dia Mathies, who shook off her two-point performance against Florida on Sunday to finish with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists to lead Kentucky. "This game really shows how deep we are as a team."
Mitchell was pleased to see the Cats' star player rebound from her worst performance in a Kentucky uniform.
"A'dia knew we weren't happy with her on Sunday, with her lack of aggressiveness," he said. "She's an intelligent woman, so she knew what she needed to do. She really had a fantastic game.
"If she will just be aggressive, it opens up everything for the rest of our team," he said of Mathies.
It was Mathies' eighth game this season with 20 or more points, but she wasn't the only threat for Kentucky, which continued its best-ever league start with a 19-2 overall record and an 8-0 SEC mark.
Six Kentucky players scored six points or more in the victory, which was UK's fourth straight over the Tigers.
Samarie Walker was 1-for-11 against the bigger Auburn forwards, who swatted nine shots.
But she was able to help UK in other ways, getting a career-best 15 rebounds along with two steals.
"I've always had more confidence than she had in herself defensively," Mitchell said of Walker. "She's finally realizing and trusting herself."
Bernisha Pinkett had eight points and four rebounds off the bench for Kentucky, which outscored the Tigers' reserves 30-18. Kastine Evans and Bria Goss added six points apiece.
But it was UK's defense that stole the show.
"Thirty turnovers is a lot to force against any team," Mathies said of the mark, which tied Auburn's most miscues for the season. "But to do it against a team in the SEC is pretty impressive."
