No. 12 Kentucky women’s basketball turns back Tide after fast start by No. 22 Alabama
Kenny Brooks and the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats earned their third ranked win of the season with a 65-56 victory over No. 22 Alabama in Memorial Coliseum on Thursday night.
The Wildcats (18-2, 7-1 SEC) trailed by six at the end of the first quarter, a deficit bolstered by a quick 12 points from Alabama leading scorer Sarah Ashlee Barker; Barker made 4 of 6 from the field, including a pair from beyond the arc, to establish the lead in the first 10 minutes. Alabama’s eight-point advantage in the final moments of the period was its largest of the game.
Kentucky benefited from defensive adjustments in the second quarter, and stole its first lead since the start of the second period with 3:31 to play in the half. The bucket — a 3-point basket from junior guard Saniah Tyler off a smooth pass from All-America point guard Georgia Amoore — brought the announced crowd of 4,471 to its feet as the Wildcats took control. Tyler’s shot was sandwiched inside a much-needed 12-0 scoring run, and immediately preceded a four-point play from graduate guard Dazia Lawrence. The Wildcats outscored the Crimson Tide 19-9 in the second period, shooting 43.8% (7-of-16) from the field and 44.4% (4-of-9) from 3-point range to take a four-point advantage at the half.
Amoore dished her 800th career assist in the third quarter as Kentucky maintained its lead despite being both out-rebounded and outscored in the paint by the Crimson Tide (17-5, 4-4), and suffering through a scoring drought lasting more than two-and-a-half minutes. The Wildcats extended their lead to double digits with just over a minute to play in the third period, and closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 12-point lead entering the fourth.
The Wildcats secured their largest lead of the contest (17) with under six minutes to play in the game, but Alabama strung together a 7-0 scoring run to pull back within 10. However, the hole was too deep and the time to dig out of it too little, and Kentucky claimed its 500th win in Memorial Coliseum before a difficult road stretch that begins with No. 13 Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon.
Amoore led UK in scoring with 16 points, and added three rebounds and nine assists. Sophomore center Clara Strack finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and one block. Junior forward Amelia Hassett contributed 11 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, three steals and stout interior defense while teammate Teonni Key battled foul trouble. Lawrence finished with 10 points, one rebound, two assists and one steal. Tyler added eight points and one rebound.
Barker led the Crimson Tide in scoring with 22 points. The senior guard entered Thursday’s contest ranked No. 9 in the SEC in points per game (16.9). She was joined in double figures by Zaay Green, who finished with 14.
Next game
No. 12 Kentucky at No. 13 Oklahoma
When: 4 p.m. EST Sunday
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630
Records: Kentucky 18-2 (7-1 SEC), Oklahoma 16-4 (4-3)
Series: Kentucky leads 3-1
Last meeting: Kentucky won 82-68 on Dec. 1, 2016, in Memorial Coliseum in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge
