UK Hoops falls short of toppling Tigers

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UK sophomore Amber Smith shot just over an LSU defender as time was winding down in the Cats’ 59-56 loss to LSU on Sunday. Smith’s last-ditch effort would have sent the game to overtime. Photo by Kristin Sherrard | Staff

It must have been the hardest three points of their lives.

The UK women’s basketball team (12-8, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) shot an anemic 1-of-15 from long range in a 59-56 loss to LSU at Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, as the margin of victory for the Tigers served as a dark reminder of the Cats’ recent shooting woes.

Sophomore point guard Amber Smith had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds, but her 3-pointer clanged off the rim as time expired, and the LSU bench erupted. The loss extended LSU’s winning streak over the Cats to 15 consecutive games.

“(Our shooting) concerns me greatly,” UK head coach Matthew Mitchell said. “It was the difference in the game today. They made five and we made one, and it was a three-point game, so it’s pretty clear. I don’t think it’s a fundamental thing. It just didn’t go in the basket today.”

Meanwhile, junior guard Andrea Kelly of LSU torched the Cats for 15 points on five 3-pointers. Entering the game, LSU was 1-of-19 in three-point attempts in their first four SEC contests. The Cats held LSU to 36.8 percent shooting from the field, but shot only 39.6 percent themselves.

All three of the Cats’ SEC losses have come by seven points or fewer. Sophomore forward Victoria Dunlap wasn’t sure what the Cats need to change to break through and win the close contests, but she remained confident that the team has the potential to do so.

“We just got to keep our heads up,” Dunlap said. “I think we came out strong, and we need to know that we can still keep going if there’s a couple of seconds left and we’re down by one or down by two or whatever, just know that you can do whatever it takes to get it done.”

Sophomore center Catina Bett sat out with a sprained left ankle, leaving the Cats with only eight players available for game action. Little-used reserves Brittany Edelen and Jenn’e Jackson saw only four minutes of action each.

With a mere six players in the rotation, the Cats appeared to tire late in the second half. Still, LSU head coach Van Chancellor said he didn’t change his game plan because of the Cats’ lack of depth.

“I’d rather have eight good players than 15 bad ones,” Chancellor said. “Bad players make you lose your job.”

Players had to assume atypical roles: Guards were forced inside to defend taller post players, and LSU was able to wear the Cats down even more when Dunlap was forced to the bench in foul trouble.

“It was pretty hard because I was cheering my heart out for the team to make sure they got stops,” Dunlap said.

UK’s only 3-ball gave the Cats their first lead of the game since the opening minutes, when junior guard Amani Franklin knocked one down to give UK a 33-32 advantage with 14:52 to go.

UK’s star post players, Dunlap and senior center Eleia Roddy, were again forced to carry the team. Roddy led all scorers with 22 points and also added nine rebounds, while Dunlap added 10 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks.