Kentucky women’s basketball (2-4) was defeated 96-53 by the No. 3 Colorado Buffaloes inside the University of Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The matchup marked the second for the Cats in the 2023 Paradise Jam, with the first resulting in an 84-55 loss to No.10 North Carolina State on Thursday.
Wildcat sophomore Amiya Jenkins would be the spark for the Cats early with Jenkins scoring five of the Wildcats’ nine points as they opened a 9-2 lead early in the first quarter.
“The first half, we had the defensive intensity we needed,” Kentucky head coach Kyra Elzy told ESPN. “We were flying around, stuck to the game plan and got some stops that we needed.”
Colorado would rally, tying the score at 11 and forcing a timeout after a series of buckets from Buffalo junior Aaronette Vonleh.
Both teams would continue to exchange buckets, with Colorado getting its first lead of the game after a bucket from graduate student Charlotte Whittaker.
The remainder of the first quarter would be one to forget for Kentucky as the Wildcats would commit 10 turnovers, with 15 of the Buffaloes’ 25 points coming from turnovers.
Kentucky would show resilience in the second quarter, exchanging scores with the Buffaloes with a pair of made free throws from junior Ajae Petty, bringing the Wildcats within three.
Colorado would counter the Kentucky surge with three field goals to end the half, with two coming from beyond the arch, including a buzzer beater from Colorado graduate student Jaylyn Sherrod to secure an 11-point lead heading into the half.
A technical foul on Sherrod at the end of the second quarter would give Kentucky two free throws to start the third that senior Maddie Scherr would make one of, with things going South for the Cats shortly after.
The Buffaloes would follow with a 12-0 run that opened their lead to 22, with the Wildcats failing to get the Colorado advantage below 19 for the remainder of the quarter.
“I thought we came out flat,” Elzy told ESPN. “We didn’t sustain our defensive intensity, and they made us pay for it.”
Colorado would continue to build on its lead as the contest entered the final quarter, with Buffalo graduate student Maddie Nolan burying a 3-pointer to give her squad a 30-point lead.
Things would not change for Kentucky, with Colorado outscoring the Wildcats 51-19 in the second half and Kentucky committing a season-high 27 turnovers on its way to a 96-53 defeat.
The Wildcats will look to find their first win of the 2023 Paradise Jam when they take on Cincinnati inside the University of Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 3:15 p.m. ET.
Women’s basketball beat reporter Colton Johnson can be reached on Twitter/X @ColtonJ358
