ANN ARBOR, Mich. ? Senior Kentucky guard Samantha Mahoney (Detroit), in a return to her home state, scored a game-high 20 points Saturday, but Michigan pulled away in the game?s final minute for a 63-59 win against the Wildcats in Crisler Arena.
The Wildcats (4-5) and Wolverines (5-3) battled evenly for the majority of the game, before Michigan broke a 57-57 tie with a pair of free throws by Stephany Skrba with 1:01 remaining in the game. A pass by Kentucky?s Amber Smith (Winter Park, Fla.) on the ensuing possession was intercepted and Jessica Minnifield knocked down a jumper with 27 seconds left to give the Wolverines a four-point, 61-57, lead.
Mahoney missed a field goal at the other end, but came up with a steal with 22 ticks left on the clock. She found Elliott for a basket that cut UK?s deficit to two, 61-59. The Wolverines? Janelle Cooper was immediately fouled by the Wildcats? Amani Franklin (Decatur, Ga.). She missed the front end of a one-in-one opportunity and Krista Phillips couldn?t connect on a put-back attempt. Mahoney missed a shot at tying the game and Krista Clement nailed a pair of free throws with four seconds left to ice the win for Michigan, which went 4-of-5 from the free-throw line in the game?s final 61 seconds.
The Wolverines shot a blistering 58.3 percent (14-of-24) from the floor in the second half and finished with a 50 percent (24-of-48) from the field for the game. Kentucky committed 17 turnovers ? 14 came in the first half and two were costly in the final two minutes of the game. The contest featured 14 ties and 17 lead changes.
?This was really disappointing for us,? UK head coach Matthew Mitchell said. ?Michigan spreads the floor well and we weren?t able to find a way to win those one-on-one battles. Our team doesn?t seem to perform well in uncomfortable situations and we are letting some opportunities get away from us. We need to bear down and see if we can get headed in the right direction.?
Mahoney eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the third time this season and had 20 or more points for the second time in the team?s last three games. Thirteen of Mahoney?s 20 points came in the second half. She also tied her career high with four steals and scored 20 points in just 25 minutes of action.
?Sam did a really good job today,? Mitchell said. ?She had 20 points, but she can?t do it all by herself. When you hold a team to 63 points, you should be able to come away with a win.?
Senior center Sarah Elliott (McKee, Ky.) scored eight points and blocked two shots, which ties her with Valerie Still for the UK career blocks record. Elliott now has 156 blocked shots in her career. Freshman forward Victoria Dunlap (Nashville, Tenn.) also had eight points and led the team in rebounding for the third consecutive game with seven boards.
Senior guard Chante? Bowman (Detroit), who also was making a return to her home state, played a season-high 21 minutes, came up with a career-best four steals and brought down four rebounds.
?Chante? came in and gave us some energy at the right time tonight,? Mitchell said. ?She really made some plays that kept us in the game and helped us hang around. I am glad she came in and played hard. Hopefully, she will continue to play with that kind of energy.?
Michigan took a 28-27 advantage into the locker room at halftime after a first half that saw four ties and five lead changes. The Wildcats shot an impressive 45.8 (11-of-24) percent from the floor in the opening period and connected on five three pointers in the first half. The Wolverines induced Kentucky into 14 turnovers that resulted in eight Michigan points.
The Wildcats scored the first five points of the game and broke to a 7-2 advantage following a basket by Mahoney at the 17:08 mark of the opening period. The Wolverines, however, responded with an 8-0 run over the next 2:45 to take a 10-7 lead before a three-pointer by Franklin stopped Michigan?s scoring streak.
Kentucky pulled in front 13-12 after a three-pointer by Morrow with 12:35 left in the first half, but the Wolverines stormed back with four consecutive points to go up 17-13 heading into a media timeout. The Cats rallied with a 4-0 run of their own to reclaim the lead at 18-17 on a three-pointer by Smith at the 8:33 mark. The two teams traded leads for the remainder of the opening half.
Out of the halftime, the Wildcats continued to trade baskets until Michigan broke a 38-all tie with a 6-2 run to go up 44-40 with a 13:01 left in the game. Kentucky then used a 6-0 run of its own to regain a 46-44 advantage with 10:07 to go after a jumper by Franklin. With the Cats trailing 50-47, Kentucky scored five in a row, including a three-pointer by Mahoney at the 5:32 mark, to give it a 52-50 lead. Mahoney?s hoop with 4:08 remaining, her ninth consecutive point, put UK up 55-53 and set up the nail-biting finish.
Kentucky breaks for final examinations before returning to action Thursday, Dec. 20, when it plays host to intra-state rival Louisville. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. EST in Rupp Arena and the game will be carried live on the Big Blue Sports Network (radio and television).
