Epps, Akhator Carry UK to Second Round

Makayla Epps was asked after the Selection Show on Monday about the prospect of her career ending on her home floor. Epps said she could think of no place she’d rather have her four memorable years come to a close than Lexington.

Even so, taking the floor for the first time in the NCAA Tournament, Epps played like she wanted no part of that.

Epps scored 30 points to lead fourth-seeded Kentucky (22-10) past a game Belmont squad, 73-70. The No. 13 seed Bruins (27-6) had won 21 straight games entering the first-round matchup, but Epps was not going to let a Cinderella story play out in Memorial Coliseum on Friday afternoon.

UK’s other senior, Evelyn Akhator, had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

“I think (Epps) and Evelyn both, again, two huge performances by our seniors who don’t want this season to end,” Matthew Mitchell said. “We needed everything we could get from both of them.”

Epps came charging out of the gate, hitting a 3 just 16 seconds in en route to scoring 10 first-quarter points to pave the way for a 10-point lead through one period. There have been times this season when Epps eased her way into games, but March Madness is no time for that.

Then, when the Bruins exploded in the second quarter to take a one-point lead at the break, it was Epps who had the Wildcats covered. She scored the first four points of the third quarter to put UK back up three, setting the stage for a 13-0 run. Epps capped the run with one of her career-high five 3-pointers, paying off the hard work she’s logged in recent months.

“Epps has worked really hard on the 3-pointers,” Mitchell said. “We started right after Christmas working on them and getting a lot of reps up and I think that helped her. She was at a really poor percentage going into conference play really improved and I think that just comes from repetition.”

There every step of the way with Epps was her fellow senior, Akhator. Her 8-0 personal run in the first quarter helped build that big early lead and her steady play was key to UK withstanding each and every one of Belmont’s many punches and counterpunches. She also had a hand in UK outrebounding Belmont 19-13 in the second half after the Bruins held a 20-9 edge on the glass in the first.

“During halftime we did a gut-check and he (Mitchell) had to get on me because I had been relaxing and after that we talked about it as a team and we realized that we just had to keep going,” Akhator said. “We knew that no matter what, we didn’t want to go home today so we had to be able to fight.”

In the final minutes, Epps and Akhator ceded the stage to a sophomore. Trying to hold on to the lead in the midst of a furious Belmont comeback, UK turned to Maci Morris repeatedly at the free throw line as it was held without a field goal for the final 5:27. Morris made 7 of 8 at the free-throw line to seal it, including her last four.

“I didn’t want to miss for (Epps and Akhator),” Morris said. “Epps told me after I missed that one that I was going to make the next two. My teammates have a lot of faith in me.”

Morris rewarded that faith, and now Epps and Akhator get to play at least one more game. Next up is fifth-seeded Ohio State on Sunday.

“It was a really good feeling today, just being back in Memorial,” Epps said. “Me and Evelyn, it was Senior Night, part two. Now Sunday is Senior Night, part three. We’re just going to keep celebrating Senior Night until Senior Night’s over.”