Nov. 30, 2002
Seattle, Wash. – Seattle, Wash. – Shambrica Jones recorded a career-high 21 points but it wouldn’t be enough, as the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team fell 88-56 to the Washington Huskies in the championship game of the Seattle Times Husky Classic on Saturday night. Sophomore Sara Potts, who combined for 37 points in the two-day event, was the Cats’ lone representative on the All-Tournament team.
The Wildcats (2-1) shot a dismal 34.5 percent from the field in the first half of play en route to a 47-26 half-time deficit. UK would come no closer than five points in the game after the Huskies (3-1) broke out to an early 14-3 lead. UW also held UK center SeSe Helm scoreless for the first time in her three-year career.
“Washington is a very good shooting team and you can’t let them have open looks,” UK Coach Bernadette Mattox said. “We did a lot of standing around and we got down. It’s hard to come back and not make shots. When we started a run in the second half, we let them drop a couple of “threes” on us. We just didn’t get it done tonight.”
Potts continued her stellar play from the first round against Pacific, hitting 7-of-15 shots from the field, including four three pointers. She accounted for 14 of UK’s 26 first-half points and also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds. Jones, who regrouped from a poor performance in UK’s opening round game, paced the Cats in the second stanza. Jones heated up the nets for 15 second-half points. The Cats closed the gap shortly after the break, coming within 47-32 on a lay-up from Jones before UW answered with two three’s to put UW back on top by 20. The Huskies extended their lead shortly thereafter and the Cats never threatened again.
“I was very pleased with Sara (Potts) and Shambrica (Jones),” Mattox said. “I felt when we penetrated the ball, we got open looks. We did a lot of standing around tonight and we must regain our focus for our next game at Evansville.”
After shooting 71.4 percent from the three-point line in the first half, the Huskies made five more trey’s to round out their shooting of 45.2 percent for the game. The Cats made 22-58 field goals in the contest, a 37.9 percent tally. Although they dominated the paint in the first round, the Cats were outscored by the Huskies 42-28 around the basket in the championship game. UW outrebounded the Cats 43-27.
The Huskies had three double-digit performances in the contest, led by the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Giuliana Mendiola with 21. Loree Payne and Andrea Lalum, who also were named to the All-Tournament team, added 18 apiece for UW.
Washington defeated St. Bonaventure in the first round and has advanced to the tournament championship game in all 16 years of the Seattle Times Classic. UW won its 10th tournament title. UK defeated Pacific 77-61 to advance to the tournament finals.
UK will next face the Purple Aces of Evansville on Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. ET in Evansville.
