No. 11 Kentucky women’s basketball (13-1) finished its non-conference schedule with a 80-42 victory over Hofstra (2-8).
The Cats had two players lead the scoring effort in Clara Strack and Amelia Hassett. Strack recorded a double-double, leading the team with 24 points and 11 rebounds on 11-17 (64.7%) shooting. Strack had a season-high seven blocks. Hassett had 18 points on 6-9 (66.7%) shooting, 5-8 (62.5%) from behind the arc.
Tonie Morgan was a point short of her third double-double of the season with nine points and 10 assists.
The Wildcats shot 31-62 (50%) from the field and 11-27 (40.7%) from behind the arc. Hofstra shot just 16-49 (32.7%) from the field, 0-3 from 3-point range.
Kentucky dominated the rebounding margin, out-rebounding Hofstra 43-25.
The Wildcats defense recorded 10 blocks and eight steals.
The Wildcats made 31 shots, 27 of these were assisted.
A 5-0 run Kentucky run gave the Cats a 12-6 lead early in the first quarter, Clara Strack had five of 12 points.
Kentucky took a 15-9 lead into the media timeout halfway through the first quarter.
The Cats made six of its first eight shots, shooting 2-4 from 3-point range.
Kaelyn Carroll and Asia Boone made 3-pointers in back-to-back possessions following the media timeout to take a 10 point lead.
Kentucky led 26-15 at the end of the first quarter. Boone led the Cats in scoring with eight points.
The Cats shot 10-15 (66.7%) from the field in the first quarter, Hofstra shot 7-13 (53.8%).
Kentucky was outrebounded 7-5, but lead the turnover battle with just two while Hofstra committed five.
Both teams suffered hits to their efficiency halfway through the second quarter. UK began the second quarter shooting 3-9 from the field while Hofstra shot 1-7.
Strack made the Wildcats first three shots of the quarter, picking up six points and four rebounds in six minutes.
A 9-0 Kentucky run across a six minute Hofstra scoring drought gave Kentucky a 39-17 lead.
The Wildcats took a 42-21 lead into halftime.
Kentucky made 16 shots in the first half, 15 of them were assisted. Tonie Morgan and Boone each had five assists at the break.
Strack led the Wildcats in scoring with 14 first-half points on 6-10 shooting, she also led the team with seven rebounds and four blocks.
Kentucky shot 16-13 (51.6%) from the field in the first half, 6-17 from behind the arc. Hofstra was held to 10-28 (35.7%) shooting.
The Wildcats led all of the secondary stats in the first half, leading 18-15 in rebounds, 7-1 in blocks, and 7-5 in turnovers.
Kentucky came out of halftime shooting 5-5 from the field, outscoring Hofstra 12-6 in four minutes.
Kentucky mounted a 20-2 run over a five minute stretch to pull out to a 69-27 lead.
The Cats lead grew to 71-30 by the end of the third quarter, outscoring Hofstra by 20 in the quarter.
Amelia Hassett had 11 points in the quarter, shooting 4-5 from the field and 3-4 from 3-point range.
The Wildcats scoring slowed down in the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter, scoring just eight points in that span.
There was a five minute stretch where Kentucky was without a made field goal, but the game was already out of reach and the defense prevented the lead from shrinking much.
The Wildcats have wrapped up non-conference play. Kentucky’s next matchup will start SEC play, taking on LSU on Jan. 1, at 8 p.m. ET in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
