Three takeaways from No. 13 Kentucky women’s basketball’s loss at No. 8 Indiana
In last season’s top-15 matchup between Indiana and Kentucky in Lexington, the Wildcats were able to rally from down 14 points in the second quarter to stun the Hoosiers at home.
Sunday afternoon in Bloomington there was to be no furious comeback for head coach Kyra Elzy’s team inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
IU took the lead for good with 6:23 left in the first quarter and never relinquished it in an 88-67 victory by No. 8 Indiana over No. 13 Kentucky.
While true freshman guard Jada Walker impressed off the bench and star senior guard Rhyne Howard went on a third-quarter scoring tear, an inability to get back in transition defense and significant foul trouble plagued this Kentucky performance.
Shooting issues from both three-point range and the foul line also continued to hamper the Wildcats.
No. 8 Indiana 88, No. 13 Kentucky 67
The stars: Rhyne Howard led Kentucky in scoring (23) and rebounds (nine). In the third quarter alone Howard went four of five from the field and scored 10 points. Mackenzie Holmes dominated on the inside for IU and led all players with 29 points.
The stats: Jada Walker (16) and Robyn Benton (11) also scored in double figures for the Cats. Four UK players — Dre’una Edwards, Jazmine Massengill, Howard and Olivia Owens — all finished with at least four personal fouls. Massengill was also assessed a technical foul along with Indiana’s Ali Patberg.
The status: Kentucky is now 2-1. Indiana is now 2-0.
Three takeaways
1. FRONTCOURT WOES DOOM KENTUCKY DEFENSIVELY.
Right from the start of Sunday’s game, the Hoosiers — and specifically Mackenzie Holmes, a junior forward — asserted themselves around the rim.
Holmes had 13 of Indiana’s 20 first-quarter points, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field in the opening 10 minutes.
IU’s superb ball-handling guards, including Louisville native and Sacred Heart Academy alumnae Grace Berger, also found success knifing through Kentucky’s defense and using speed to get to the rim.
Berger, who led the nation in triple-doubles last season, finished the game with 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Kentucky also had numerous instances of failing to get back in transition defense, which led to either easy scoring opportunities for the Hoosiers or led to fouls called on the Wildcats. The whistle was quick in Bloomington for both sides.
UK only has three listed frontcourt players, and that already-thin depth has been even more limited to start the season with sophomore forward Nyah Leveretter out for an undetermined amount of time due to a non-COVID illness.
Edwards, a forward, and Owens, a center, currently comprise the listed UK frontcourt players, with Howard and Treasure Hunt often playing down low as oversized guards.
2. WILDCATS STRUGGLE AGAIN FROM DISTANCE AND THE FOUL LINE.
Entering Sunday’s game, UK had shot just 50% from the foul line combined in wins over Presbyterian and North Alabama.
Those woes continued as the Wildcats went just nine of 15 from the foul line.
Similar issues continued from long distance.
Kentucky was just 11 of 37 on three-point shots after its first two games of the season, and Kentucky went four of 13 in the loss to Indiana.
It was the timing of many of the Wildcat three-pointers that presented a bigger problem than the conversion rate itself, as UK forced bad shots in certain situations.
Elzy has mentioned following games this season that Kentucky has had issues with not letting its offense flow properly and instead settling for quick shots, and she brought up those concerns again Sunday night.
3. JADA WALKER IMPRESSES IN FIRST COLLEGE ROAD GAME.
The true freshman was heralded in the offseason as a dynamic defensive presence for Kentucky, a point guard that could immediately slot into the lineup and contribute to UK this season.
Walker scored 13 points on 50% shooting from the field during Thursday night’s win over North Alabama, and carried that momentum into her first road game at the collegiate level.
Coming off the bench, Walker offered a poise beyond her years during Sunday’s game, scoring 12 points on five of seven shooting from the field in the first half alone and helping UK stay within striking distance of the Hoosiers after the IU lead was as large as nine in the first half.
This summer, Sam Caldwell, one of Walker’s former high school coaches at New Hope Academy in Maryland, told the Herald-Leader that even at a young age Walker was a “consummate professional” running an offense.
“She could get any shot she wants anytime, I mean just hard to guard,” Caldwell said. “She was already beyond her years with respect to her work ethic, and again her basketball IQ. You’re not going to find anybody that’s going to outwork her, and I believe the kid is going to be a pro. I think she’ll be unlike any other freshman Kentucky’s had in a long time.”
Walker had a quieter second half, but still finished the game with the second-most points of any UK player, 16, in addition to a rebound and an assist in 27 minutes.
Up next
After finishing a stretch of three games in six days, Kentucky won’t play again until Sunday afternoon at home against Winthrop (2 p.m., SEC Network Plus). The Eagles are 0-2, having lost on the road at Duke and Iona, each by at least 22 points. Before Sunday’s game, Winthrop will play at UNC Greensboro on Thursday night.
This story was originally published November 14, 2021 at 7:15 PM.
