Kentucky womens basketball falls to Texas A&M 74-67 for sixth consecutive loss

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Jack Weaver

Kentucky Wildcats forward Ajae Petty (13) holds the ball between plays during the Kentucky vs. No. 1 South Carolina womens basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky. South Carolina won 95-66. Photo by Jack Weaver | Staff

Ali Cetinok, Assistant Sports Editor

Kentucky womens basketball lost to Texas A&M 74-67 inside Reed Arena in College Station, Texas, for the Cats’ last true road game of the season.

The loss brings the Wildcats to 10-17 overall and 2-13 in conference play.

Kyra Elzy’s team came into Thursday night looking to earn just its third SEC win of the season following a brutal five game SEC losing streak dating back to late January when the Wildcats beat Missouri by 23.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Kyra Elzy walks off the court after the Kentucky vs. No. 1 South Carolina womens basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky. South Carolina won 95-66. Photo by Olivia Hall | Staff (Olivia Hall)

Kentucky came into Thursday’s matchup without Nyah Leveretter who sustained a torn ACL in her right knee during the Cats’ last game, a 22-points loss against Vanderbilt in Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Feb. 19.

Blair Green would start for the Cats averaging 8.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and one assist while shooting 38.2% from the floor.

Jada Walker also started for the Cats as is Kentucky’s second highest leading scorer averaging 12.8 points with three rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 40.8% from the field. 

After missing the last three games due to an illness, Maddie Scherr was eager to return to action on Thursday grabbing six rebounds during the first half. She was however held score-less and did not hit a single shot from the field, missing all five of her shots before the halftime break. 

Robyn Benton, who returned to the court last Sunday after sitting out of the Georgia game due to an ankle injury on Feb. 16, also didn’t start against the Aggies due to be ejected after she let her emotions get the best of her against the Commodores with Emma King getting the start for the Wildcats. 

Benton would however come into the game in the first quarter after the first media timeout of the night and would go on to score eight points and grab four rebounds.  

Texas A&M however would be up by five after the first quarter of play with the score at 21-16 going into the break off a 6-0 run and a buzzer-beater three from Aaliyah Patty. Patty would lead all scorers after the first quarter with nine points.

 The second quarter would be much of the same for the Aggies with Janiah Barker and Patty both finishing the first half with 11 points. 

 Ajae Petty, who has been thrown into a lot of action due to Leveretter being out for the season, had a hard fought first half finishing with eight points and five rebounds.  

 The Aggies would go into the halftime break up by six with the score at 36-30. 

Kentucky head coach Kyra Elzy coaches her team during the Kentucky vs. Georgia womens basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky. UK lost 50-40. Photo by Samuel Colmar | Staff (Samuel Colmar)

 To begin the second half, Kentucky would struggle with the Aggies going into the first media timeout of the second half on a 6-0 run with the Cats not scoring for three minutes at the 6:32 mark of the third quarter with the score at 44-32. 

 The Aggies however would go on a scoring drought themselves, not scoring a field goal for over four minutes with Kentucky hitting four shots in a row. A&M however would go 6-6 from the charity stripe during that time frame to end the quarter up by 10 with the score at 55-45. 

 To begin the fourth quarter, both squads would exchange buckets to bring the score to 62-54 with less than five less in regulation. 

 The Aggies however would be able to hold out with the final score being 74-67.

 Eager to make up for her ejection against Vanderbilt, Benton made her presence felt on Thursday night with 21 points.  

 After a scoreless first half, Scherr was able to rebound in the second half with 12 points but was too little, too late for the Wildcats as they fell by seven.

 Texas A&M was pushed to victory by Kay Kay Green with 14 points and four rebounds while Sahara Jones dominated Kentucky with 18 points and 11 boards. Patty would also finish with 12 points and 15 boards for the Aggies’ third double-double of the night. 

 Kentucky will return to action on Sunday, Feb. 26 for its penultimate game of the regular season hosting Tennessee with tipoff at Memorial Coliseum.