No. 16 Kentucky women’s basketball (20-8, 7-7 SEC) fell 81-79 to No. 5 Vanderbilt (25-3, 11-3 SEC) and it could loom large when it comes to March Madness seeding.
The loss to Vanderbilt holds some implications for the Wildcats – they are now 4-5 against AP ranked opponents this season and have lost a chance to secure a double-bye going into the SEC Tournament.
For a team looking to secure a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament, it is going to be difficult considering a season-closing matchup against No. 3 South Carolina followed by a tough SEC tournament slate.
The Cats hosting the first two rounds at home during March Madness would be huge – Kentucky is currently 12-2 at home this season.
One of those losses was the first of Kentucky’s two-game series against Vanderbilt, where it fell 84-83.
Both losses to the Commodores – particularly Sunday’s game – make it difficult to assess what they mean for the Wildcats in terms of their performance heading into postseason play.
Kentucky fell to Vanderbilt by a collective three points this season. The first game showed a more dominant Commodore team, however the most recent matchup held Kentucky control of the lead for over 30 minutes.
Objectively, Kentucky’s performance in both games was some of its best this season, and losing to a Quad 1 opponent by such little margins is not something to be disgruntled by.
Vanderbilt was a strong opponent in both showings as well, further emphasizing the level at which Kentucky is capable of competing at.
The final eight seconds of the loss to Vanderbilt, however, when Dore Aubrey Galvan converted the go-ahead layup and left Kentucky with the final possession, echoed a similar sentiment as the Wildcats’ other late-game falters this season, making the defeat particularly harsh.
With five seconds remaining, center Clara Strack received the inbound but turned it over in the paint, effectively sealing the loss where Mikayla Blakes was consequently fouled after regaining possession, and went to the line in the final second.
It feels as though no matter how well the Cats compete, they just can’t get it done.
Turnovers have been the big issue for the Cats this season, and against Vanderbilt, they did better to keep control for the majority of the game.
The Cats committed only three turnovers in the first half; in the fourth quarter, Kentucky had two turnovers in the final three minutes of the game.
Those turnovers were crucial for the Vanderbilt go-ahead and the ultimate fall in Memorial Gymnasium.
Throughout conference play, fourth-quarter performance has decided virtually every game for the Wildcats.
Kentucky is 6-1 through conference play when outscoring its opponent in the fourth quarter this season, and although the Cats did host a 12-point lead over the Commodores in the first quarter, it wasn’t enough when Vanderbilt’s output was dominant in the final 10 minutes.
The Commodores got its first lead of the game three minutes into the third quarter, and from there, the game had 11 lead changes and eight times where the game was tied.
From this point, Kentucky managed to regain a six-point margin near the end of the third, but it again, wasn’t enough.
Earlier in the season, then-ranked No. 11 Kentucky had managed to tie up their scoreline against No. 17 Tennessee with four minutes left in the game.
Similarly on the ball for the final seconds of play, a bad pass turnover on the inbound solidified a loss in Knoxville.
In both games, Kentucky’s opponents had a higher output in the final 10 minutes.
Looking all the way to Jan. 1 to Kentucky’s dramatic buzzer-beater win against No. 5 LSU, the Cats had a higher output in the fourth and moreover cleaned up its play in the seconds where it mattered.
So, although Kentucky went toe-to-toe with the Commodores, it doesn’t hold up when the better team manages to get it done.
It certainly won’t matter when the postseason rolls around, and every game determines when the season will end.
The Cats have a world of talent that have shown that they can execute in most areas of the game, especially now that Teonni Key is back and the Kentucky team has rebuilt its chemistry with its full roster.
The Cats execution in the final moments, however, have and will determine how postseason games will go.
Kentucky knows it too.
“It’s not a matter of — I don’t think anybody’s gonna look at where you are today, they’re gonna look at ‘How’d you finish?’ Our kids are not wavering on their confidence,” Coach Kenny Brooks said after the game. “They know that a play here or there, and it’s a different outcome. We just gotta continue to play together, keep the faith. That’s what they’re doing. Their heads are held high. It’s an experienced basketball team and a really confident basketball team.”
