Another easy one for Kentucky? Take Missouri for granted at your own peril.
Kentucky almost learned the hard way Monday night that victories in the Southeastern Conference are never to be taken for granted.
Now come two more games against opponents the Wildcats “should be” equipped to defeat handily as they ride out a stretch of three games in six days.
On Monday night, 13th-ranked Kentucky (16-3 overall, 5-2 SEC) built a 16-point halftime lead but Auburn (7-11, 1-6) rallied to tie early in the fourth quarter. The Cats survived a pressure-cooker finish and escaped with a 68-61 win.
Thursday’s assignment is a road trip to Missouri (5-15, 2-5), followed by a return home Sunday to face Florida (11-9, 2-5).
Missouri’s five SEC losses — to No. 1 South Carolina, No. 9 Mississippi State, No. 15 Texas A&M, No. 22 Tennessee and No. 25 Arkansas — have come by an average of 19 points per game.
However, of the Tigers’ two league wins, one came over an opponent in LSU that defeated Kentucky — your reminder to take nothing for granted.
Kentucky’s leading scorer, Rhyne Howard, disclocated the knuckle in her pinkie finger during Monday night’s win and was limited to 10 points. For the season, the sophomore guard is leading the league at 23.2 points per game.
The Cats received a lift against Auburn from junior forward KeKe McKinney, who returned from a four-game absence to score a career high-tying 13 points.
Freshman guard Aijha Blackwell leads Missouri in scoring at 13.0 points per game and also averages 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Senior guard Amber Smith averages 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Thursday
No. 13 Kentucky at Missouri
When: 7 p.m. EST
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630
Records: Kentucky 16-3 (5-2 SEC), Missouri 5-15 (2-5)
Series: Kentucky leads 7-4
Last meeting: Missouri won 70-68 on March 8, 2019, in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament at Greenville, S.C.