Teonni Key returns, Kentucky rises in AP top 25 ahead of brutal week
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- Kentucky ended its skid with a 93-73 win and remains in the AP Top 25.
- Teonni Key returned from a dislocated elbow and posted 15 points and 10 rebounds.
- Clara Strack scored a career-high 33 points, surpassed 1,000 career points.
After halting its losing skid with a win in its one-game week, Kentucky remains in the Associated Press women’s college basketball top 25.
UK (18-5, 5-4 SEC) rose two spots to No. 16 in this week’s poll.
Kentucky’s 93-73 victory at Arkansas may have taken the team a bit longer than expected to pull away, but the storm appears to be subsiding for the Wildcats, who welcomed Teonni Key back into the lineup in Sunday’s win over the Razorbacks after weeks on the sideline due to a dislocated elbow.
Kentucky received double-figure scoring performances from five of the eight Wildcats to take the floor at Bud Walton Arena; only starting forward Jordan Obi, who posted four points, six rebounds, two assists and a block; true freshman Kaelyn Carroll, still adjusting to Kenny Brooks’ standard; and reserve guard Lexi Blue, who played less than a minute, did not reach the marker.
During their time in Lexington, Key, senior forward Amelia Hassett and junior center Clara Strack have often been thought of as a unit, given their aptitude for blocking shots and making plays. But it’s been quite some time, given Key’s injury and Hassett’s up-and-down tenure, since all three of them played a strong game against power competition.
Against the Razorbacks, Hassett shot 5 of 10 from the field, including four 3-pointers, and contributed 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Strack had a career-high 33 points and tallied 15 rebounds and 2 steals. Key, in her return, posted a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, and totaled three assists, a steal and a block.
“We’re very fortunate to come out with a win,” Brooks said. “Very proud of our kids. I’m extremely happy, as I’m sure Clara is, to have Teonni back. It makes everyone’s job a lot easier. Makes everyone just a little bit better. Makes them better players, me a better coach. Just having her presence.”
Brooks said the decision to reactivate Key was born out of “seeing how she felt,” given she hadn’t played in nearly a month and did not have a specific, doctor-mandated timeframe for her return. Against the Razorbacks, Key was the first player to sub out in each half, and Brooks said they communicated throughout the game about how she was feeling.
“With anything, she just gives us another person in the rotation,” Strack said. “But Teonni’s an amazing player. She’s one of the best players we have on this team. She works extremely hard, and she brings all of our energy up with her because she comes ready every day, and she comes with a lot of energy. So I think having her there, having her talking with us, it just helps us so much.”
In addition to her career-best 33 points, Strack eclipsed 1,000 career points in the victory.
“It feels really good,” Strack said. “I think we just went through a little down patch of games, I went through a little rough stretch. But I think just staying consistent, staying ready with the work I put in, and knowing I can do it. So I think it felt good to have that on my game back.”
Brooks and Strack both described the one-game week and consequent break from the action as “amazing,” and Brooks credited the Wildcats’ second-half pull away to finally being able to get back into their rhythm.
Despite foul trouble, point guard Tonie Morgan added 14 points and eight assists. Junior guard Asia Boone, who came off the bench following starting in Key’s absence, recorded 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field (including three 3-pointers), 6 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
“(Morgan is) the engine that makes us go,” Brooks said. “And she gets the basketball where it needs to go to. And then we stepped up. When Amelia and Asia are making shots like they are from the distance, we’re very dangerous because it opens up so much for (Strack) on the inside. So when we get it all clicking, we’re really good. And I think that this is a great time for us as we head into this stretch that we’re about to endure. It’s a really good time for us to start playing our best basketball.”
As February ramps up, Kentucky’s opponents don’t get any easier; this week, the Wildcats host Vanderbilt on Thursday. They travel to Austin to face Texas for a game next Monday night.
After last week’s record 10 Southeastern Conference programs in the AP top 25, Georgia’s dropping out leaves nine league teams standing.
No. 3 South Carolina (21-2) and No. 4 Texas (21-2) remain in the same position as last week, while No. 5 LSU (21-2) improved one spot with wins over Florida and Arkansas and a 103-63 rout of Alabama.
No. 7 Vanderbilt (21-2) fell two spots after a split week, losing to Ole Miss and beating Florida. No. 11 Oklahoma (17-5) dropped one place after a split week of beating Texas A&M and losing to rival Texas.
No. 13 Ole Miss (18-4) improved four places with its win over Vanderbilt. No. 19 Tennessee fell four places after double-digit losses to Mississippi State and Connecticut. Despite losing to LSU, No. 21 Alabama (19-4) improved three spots; the Crimson Tide also beat Georgia on Thursday.
Georgia received the most votes of teams to miss the Top 25.
Caroline Makauskas’ Team of the Week
Kentucky
Caroline Makauskas’ Top 25 ballot: No. 1 Connecticut, No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Michigan, No. 7 Louisville, No. 8 Ohio State, No. 9 Vanderbilt, No. 10 Michigan State, No. 11 Mississippi, No. 12 Iowa, No. 13 Oklahoma, No. 14 Texas Tech, No. 15 TCU, No. 16 Duke, No. 17 Kentucky, No. 18 Baylor, No. 19 North Carolina, No. 20 Alabama, No. 21 Washington, No. 22 West Virginia, No. 23 Tennessee, No. 24 Princeton, No. 25 Rhode Island.
