Kentucky has lost back-to-back games for just the second time under Kyra Elzy
KYRA ELZY POSTGAME | DRE’UNA EDWARDS POSTGAME
LOUISVILLE – December 12, 2021
Dre’una Edwards and Treasure Hunt each scored 14 points but the 14th-ranked Kentucky women’s basketball team came up just short, losing at No. 7 Louisville 64-58 on Sunday.
Edwards also had a game-high 14 rebounds for the Cats, marking her fourth double-double of the season.
Kentucky (6-3) also got 13 points from Robyn Benton. All-American Rhyne Howard was held to nine points in the contest.
The Cats hit 21 of 54 (38.9 percent) from the floor, including three of 13 (23.1 percent) from behind the arc. Louisville made 26 of its 65 shots (40 percent), including four of 13 (30.8 percent) from three-point land. Kentucky turned the ball over 21 times, compared with 13 for Louisville. The Cards had 21 points off the UK miscues, while UK turned the Cardinal mistakes into just nine points.
U of L had advantages in bench points (18-8) and points in the paint (32-28). Both teams had 37 rebounds in the game.
Kentucky scored first as Edwards rebounded her own miss and put it back in, giving UK a 2-0 advantage. Louisville answered with five in a row before Robyn Benton converted a fast break layup to cut the Cards’ lead to 5-4.
After a U of L three, Howard his a left baseline jumper to cut it to 8-6. However, Louisville responded by scoring the next seven points, extending the lead to 15-6 with 3:45 left.
The Cats would respond with a run of their own, sparked by freshman Jada Walker. First, Walker drove and converted a layup. Then, she made another basket, which was followed by a Howard three, cutting Louisville’s lead to 17-13. The Cards would add a pair of free throws late to lead 19-13 after one period.
Louisville opened the second period with four straight points to extend the lead to 23-13. But again, Kentucky answered. The Cats got a three from Treasure Hunt and a pair of Benton free throws to cut the lead in half.
After Louisville extended the lead to 25-18, Kentucky got a free throw from Howard and a three from Benton to get within three, 25-22, with 6:18 left in the half. U of L scored the next five but UK answered with six in a row on a pair of Benton layups and a Howard layup, making it 30-28 with 3:15 left in the half.
Kentucky would tie the game at 30-30 on an Edwards layup. The Cards would take the lead back, 32-30, before Edwards scored again, tying the game at 32 apiece with 59 seconds left in the half. Then, with 27 seconds left in the half, Howard hit one of two free throws and Kentucky would take a 33-32 lead into the break. Benton led all scorers with 11 first-half points.
The second half did not start well for Kentucky. The Cats would miss their first nine shots from the floor and would see the Cards take a 39-33 lead. The Cats would get on the board at the 3:25 mark of the quarter when Walker hit a pair of free throws to cut the U of L lead to 39-35.
Kentucky would make just one field goal in the period, a Hunt layup, but the Cats were down just 44-39 with 10 minutes remaining in the game.
Louisville would get the first basket of the fourth period before Hunt went to the basket, scored and was fouled. She converted the free throw to make it 45-42 Cards with 9:14 to play.
However, the Cards scored the next four in a row, extending the lead to 49-42 and forcing a UK timeout.
Kentucky would respond out of the break. The Cats got a layup from Hunt, a layup and free throw from Edwards and two Hunt free throws to tie the game at 49-49 with 5:54 to play. Louisville would get a basket on its next possession to take the lead back. But UK eventually got on top, 54-53, with an Edwards jumper with 3:37 to play.
Louisville would answer with six straight points to lead 59-54 with 1:41 to play.
Edwards would score to cut it to 59-56 before Louisville got a Hailey Van Lith basket to lead 61-56 with 57 seconds left. Treasure Hunt would score, on a dish from Edwards, to make it 61-58 with 39 seconds to play. But the Cats could get no closer.
Kentucky returns to action on Friday, as the Cats host Morgan State at Memorial Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on SEC Network Plus.
