Women’s Basketball: Kentucky Looks to Ride Momentum at Vanderbilt

For the first time in nearly a month, the Kentucky women’s basketball team is coming into a game off of a victory. The Wildcats will be in Nashville tonight to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Like Kentucky, Vanderbilt comes into tonight’s game needing a win to keep slim hopes of a NCAA tournament bid within reach. The Commodores have not won a game since January 6th in their conference opener against Arkansas.

The Wildcats and Commodores are coming off two very different sets of outcomes. Kentucky picked up a huge double-digit victory on the road against Auburn two days ago. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt is coming off a 55-point drubbing at the hands of the top ranked South Carolina Gamecocks.

Rhyne Howard will likely be tasked with guarding Brinae Alexander. Alexander leads the Commodores in scoring with 14.1 PPG. She will without a doubt be a tough matchup, but Howard has proved she’s one of the better defensive players in the country and was recognized as such when she was included on the watchlist for the Naismith defensive player of the year award.

Kentucky will once again be without Robyn Benton and Dre’Una Edwards for tonight’s game. Edwards is still out for disciplinary reasons while Benton is still nursing an ankle injury. With their absences, Kyra Elzy will look to Olivia Owens and Emma King to step up in their place.