No. 16 Kentucky women’s basketball (8-1) defeated the Queens Royals (5-4) 87-45 in its return to Historic Memorial Coliseum for the first time since Nov. 18.
The Wildcats took advantage of the Royals, using the game to get back in the win column after a 19-point loss to the No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels.
Kentucky brought out its usual starting lineup consisting of Georgia Amoore, Dazia Lawrence, Amelia Hassett, Teonni Key and Clara Strack.
After her double-double against the Tar Heels, Hassett continued to stay hot from the field, draining a mid-range shot and a corner 3-pointer a couple of minutes into the first quarter.
Amoore made her first shot of the night from deep shortly after, giving the Wildcats an early double-digit lead.
By the time of the first media timeout, the Wildcats held a 14-2 lead.
Directly after Queens hit its second field-goal of the game, Amoore sprinted down the court for a successful and-one. A Strack steal then led to another fast break where Amoore pulled up and drained another 3-pointer.
At the end of the first quarter, Amoore held the same amount of points as the Royals’ whole team and the Wildcats led 29-9.
Strack opened up the second quarter with a pull-up jumper, followed by a coast-to-coast play by Lawrence.
Saniah Tyler then checked into the game, finding Hassett for another 3-point jumper, which brought her total to 11 points on the night.
Key continued to hawk down offensive rebounds, creating more opportunities for the Wildcats. At the half, Key led the team with four offensive rebounds.
Three Wildcats reached double-digit scoring in the first half, with Amoore dropping 14 points, Hassett dropping 13 points and Strack dropping 12 points. The Wildcats held a commanding 52-18 lead.
To open up the second half, Amoore continued to add to her point total, sinking two free-throws and knocking down another 3-pointer in stride at the top of the key.
With a layup, Hassett scored her 1,000th collegiate points, taking the Wildcats into a media timeout with a 61-26 lead.
Kentucky continued to dominate, making its way to the free-throw line repeatedly and entering the final quarter with a 76-29 lead.
Head Coach Kenny Brooks inserted some of the rotating players in with the starters, capping off a dominant win back in Lexington.
Amoore and Hassett led the way offensively, combining for 39 points and six 3-pointers made. Key secured her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
The Wildcats will next take the court against the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday, Dec. 14, inside Mackey Arena, looking to get their first true road win of the season. The game is set to tip off at 5 p.m. and will air live on the Big Ten Network (BTN).
