From the tip-off, the women’s basketball rivalry game between UK and Louisville was a physical one. UK was able to handle UofL’s undeniable physical strength and agility throughout the first quarter.

The Cardinals were able to wear the Cats down by the end of the second quarter, handing UK their third straight loss.

By the end of the first quarter, the 23-16 score was still left open for both teams to take control of the game. But the UK’s 10 first-half turnovers made it hard for the Cats to create any sort of offensive rhythm.

UK ended the first half with 14 points in the paint, only six second-chance points and 11 rebounds. Comparing that to UofL’s dominate 20 points in the paint, 14 second chance points and 22 first-half rebounds.

After coming out of the locker room at halftime down 22 points, the Cats were ready to start clawing away at Louisville’s lead and were looking to show some dominance and physicality of their own.

That wasn’t exactly how it panned out, but the Cats did show some more life on the defensive end. The Cats held the Cards to just six second-chance points in the second half and forced five turnovers. 

UK senior center Alyssa Rice had her work cut out for her in trying to stop UofL senior forward Myisha Hines-Allen.

Ultimately, Hines-Allen dominated the ongoing battle in the paint, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds, even after sitting for several minutes throughout the first half due to early foul trouble.

Rice was held to just eight points and four rebounds.

No one on the UK bench could figure out how to stop the quickness of UofL’s junior guard Asia Durr. Durr had a game-high 32 points in the 18 minutes that she played in the game.

This is UK’s third loss in a row. As discouraging as that number sounds, junior guard Maci Morris said that her team isn’t getting down on themselves because they are still learning.

“We’re a young team. We see different pieces in every game that we play and every loss. We don’t really look at it as losing, but as learning opportunities,” Morris said. “We will take those pieces and learn from them, and there is going to be a time when we put them all together and win.”