Women’s Basketball: Kentucky Wins Nail-Biter in Tuscaloosa
Your Kentucky Wildcats are back in the win column! After finding themselves in an 11-2 hole, the Wildcats found a jolt of energy sparked by full court pressure that got Alabama in early turnover trouble. Once Kyra Elzy’s ’Cats clawed their way back early to just a one-point first quarter deficit, it was back and forth between Kentucky and Alabama the rest of the way.
Kentucky once again struggled offensively in the second quarter, but their defensive intensity was enough to make up for it and keep things right where they needed heading into halftime. In fact, the Wildcats took a 29-28 lead into the locker room.
The second half was just as close as the first, but both teams did find some spark on the offense end. Alabama’s elite guard trio all scored double-digits in today’s game, led by Megan Abrams‘ 21 points on the day. It was clear that the combination of Abrams, Davis, and Mingo-Young were going to get theirs, but Kentucky made sure that the rest of the Crimson Tide did not hurt them. Outside of that trio, Alabama’s remaining players only scored 14 points combined for the entire game.
The key to this game was going to be which team’s front-court stepped up, and for Kentucky it was all Dre’Una Edwards. Kyra Elzy made the decision to bring Edwards off the bench today, and the 6’2 junior from Vegas received the message loud and clear. “Dre” was all over the court, and her energy is what ultimately got Kentucky over the hump. She ended the day with an impressive 24 points and 7 rebound performance. On a day where Rhyne Howard was having a hard time finding the bottom of the net, she was picked up by one of her teammates for what seems like the first time in a long time. If Kentucky can get this production out of Edwards for the remainder of the season, the Wildcats can end the year on a hot streak.
When the buzzer sounded, it was a mixture of Kentucky’s smothering defense and a heroic performance by Edwards that eventually led to the Wildcats sneaking out of Tuscaloosa with a 67-63 victory.
The ladies return to the court for their fourth game in eight days on Tuesday when they take on Mississippi State inside Memorial Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 6:00 PM ET on SEC+.