The 14th-ranked Kentucky Women’s Basketball team traveled to Chapel Hill for their first true road game of the season. As part of the SEC/ACC Challenge, the Cats took on the 16th-ranked North Carolina Tarheels (UNC). New Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks had the Wildcats 7-0 with two ranked wins under his belt coming into the game.

Kentucky’s center Clara Strack and leading scorer (18.3) picked up two early fouls and went to the bench early in the first quarter. UNC took full advantage and jumped out to an early 21-6 before the Cats finished on a 10-0 run to end the first quarter to trail 21-16. In the second quarter, Georgia Amoore did her best to keep the Cats close despite very little help from her teammates putting points on the board. Amoore led Kentucky with ten points at the half, as the Cats struggled to a 36-25 halftime deficit.

Fouls Sideline, Kentucky’s Leading Scorer

Clara Strack 6’5″ began the second half scoreless as she had to sit for fouls for most of the first half. Kentucky has one of the tallest teams in the country but failed to be able to use their height as an advantage as the Tarheels were more physical. Strack never seems to find her rhythm in the game, finishing 2-10 FG and 0-2 FT shooting with four points and four rebounds.

All-American point guard Georgia Amoore did not score in the second half and was 4-12 FG and 0-5 from the three-point line with ten points and eight assists for the game. The two Virginia Tech transfers, who came over with new coach Kenny Brooks, are the main pieces and must perform better in big games for the Cats to compete in tough environments and against tough teams.

Kentucky

Teonni Key, who transferred from North Carolina this spring and a Cary, NC native, had an off night. One of the best surprises coming back from a few injuries of the season through seven games finished with just seven points and eight rebounds against her old team in the 72-53 loss. Both numbers were down from her averages on the season.

Top Performers

Kentucky’s starting guard, Dazia Lawrence, and forward/wing Amelia Hassett were a couple of bright spots. Lawrence, who transferred from Charlotte and is a Greenville, NC native, led the Wildcats with 17 points on the night. She continued her top-15 in the country three-point shooting percentage by going 3-6 in the game and keeping her 50% clip.

Hassett found her range in the second half, hitting three of her 4-8 from behind the arc and scoring 13 points for the Cats. She also crashed the defensive boards coming away with 13 rebounds giving her first career double double of her Kentucky career.

Lawrence and Hassett combined to shoot 9-20 from the field for 45%; the rest of the team struggled to 10-34 on just 29.4% for the game. Kentucky (7-1) will need the Amoore and Strack connection to play better and compete in the tough SEC as the season gets deeper into January.

The Wildcats will be back in action to play Queens on Monday night, December 9th, at Historic Memorial Coliseum. Then they will be back on the road to go against the Purdue Boilermakers next Saturday December the 14th. Coach Brooks will look to get the Cats back on track before Southeastern Conference play begins next month.

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