No. 15 Kentucky women’s basketball (15-1, 4-0 SEC) defeated the Auburn Tigers (9-8, 0-4 SEC) 80-61 in the team’s return to Historic Memorial Coliseum.
With the win, the Wildcats moved to 4-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2012-13 season, where they finished with a 30-6 record.
The Wildcats, per usual, rolled out the same starting five consisting of Georgia Amoore, Dazia Lawrence, Amelia Hassett, Teonni Key and Clara Strack.
The Wildcats began the game shooting just 1-7 from the field, quickly making three straight field goals and forcing Auburn to call its first timeout.
Auburn missed seven of its last eight shots by the end of the first quarter. Amoore had scored half of the Cats’ 16 points.
By the time of the next media timeout, Lawrence hit her first 3-pointer of the game after missing her first four shots, giving the Wildcats a 27-18 lead.
Mar’shaun Bostic continued to fight for the Tigers, driving in and forcing contact. She made six out of her seven free-throws in the first two quarters of play.
At the half, Kentucky led by double-digits and Amoore, Strack and Key all combined for 32 out of Kentucky’s 36 points.
To kick off the second half, we saw the intensity pick up, showing the true brand of SEC basketball. Players hit the floor, coaches and players complained, and fans booed at every questionable call.
Halfway through the third quarter, Auburn spouted off on a three-minute run where it outscored the Wildcats 12-2.
Kentucky closed out the quarter on a 10-5 swing where Amoore tallied her second double-double of the season. Four Wildcats, Key, Strack, Lawrence and Amoore, entered the final quarter with 10 or more points.
The Wildcats took the contact and rough play head on, maintaining their lead slowly but surely as time winded down.
Despite a large lead, Big Blue Nation continued to complain and chirp about the officiating until the final buzzer.
Lawrence got one final bucket along with the foul to give the Wildcats a 20-point lead and empty the benches.
Amoore finished the game with 21 points and 11 assists, marking her second double-double of the season. Lawrence added on 21 points with another efficient night and Strack and Key combined for 31 points to round out the Wildcats’ offensive efforts.
Up next, the Wildcats travel to Athens, Georgia, to take on an underwhelming Georgia Bulldogs squad on Sunday, Jan. 19. The game is set to tip-off at 2 p.m. and it will air live on the SEC Network+.
