Is Kentucky women’s basketball on to something? Gritty, united Wildcats win SEC opener.
The Kentucky women’s basketball team opened Southeastern Conference play on a high note with a 73-63 victory over Arkansas in Rupp Arena on Thursday night.
The Wildcats won only two SEC games and finished tied for last place in the league last season, losing their first five and their last seven conference games. When UK posted the league’s worst record, 7-7, in nonconference play to start this season, it looked like more of the same could be in order.
However, coach Kyra Elzy’s Cats seem to have something else in mind. Thursday night’s win over the Razorbacks (12-4) was the Wildcats’ fourth in a row and sixth in the last eight games after a 2-5 start.
Both teams started slow offensively Thursday, with cold-shooting resulting in an Arkansas lead of 8-6 after the first 10 minutes of play. But the Wildcats found a way to gain momentum in the second quarter while the Razorbacks continued to struggle to find the basket. Kentucky closed the first half on an 18-4 run to take a 26-14 lead. During the first 20 minutes, Kentucky forced 12 turnovers and committed eight of their own.
That run proved necessary for the Wildcats, who returned to the floor after halftime to face a Razorbacks roster determined to set things right.
Arkansas outscored Kentucky 29-18 in the third quarter, thanks to a red-hot performance by junior guard Samara Spencer and the team shooting nearly 70 percent from the field. In the third quarter alone, Spencer recorded 12 points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. Spencer, one of four Razorbacks who entered the evening averaging double-figure scoring, was the only player in red to hit double figures until the second half of the fourth quarter.
Arkansas missed its first 15 3-point attempts Thursday and finished the night 4-for-27 from long range but went 3-for-5 from deep in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was a tense back-and-forth battle fueled by foul trouble — featuring the fouling out of both Kentucky guard Maddie Scherr and Arkansas starting forward Maryam Dauda — and smarter shot selection.
The Wildcats (8-7, 1-0 SEC) finished the final quarter by making their final four field goal attempts to open conference play with an unexpected victory.
A determined defensive effort by the Wildcats forced 18 Arkansas turnovers and limited the Razorbacks to 33.3 percent shooting (21 of 63). UK outrebounded the Razorbacks 45-38.
Ajae Petty led the Wildcats with 22 points. She also grabbed 19 rebounds, one steal and dished three assists. Brooklynn Miles added 12 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal. Emma King tacked on 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Spencer finished with 25 points to lead Arkansas. She also contributed seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. SEC Freshman of the Year contender Taliah Scott, who entered the game with a conference-leading 23.0 points per game, added just 11. Saylor Poffenbarger, who entered the game ranking second in the nation in rebounding at 12.7 per game, grabbed 15 boards and scored nine points.
Next game
When: Noon Sunday
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630
Records: Kentucky 8-7 (1-0 SEC), Tennessee 8-5 (1-0)
Series: Tennessee leads 59-16
Last meeting: Tennessee won 80-71 on March 3, 2023, in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C.
This story was originally published January 4, 2024 at 9:37 PM.
