No. 15 Cats Pull Away From Mastodons Late, Win Fifth Straight
No. 15 Kentucky needed a second-half rally to down Purdue Fort Wayne 79-67 on Monday night inside Historic Memorial Coliseum.
The Mastodons took the lead early and led for most of the first three quarters. But Kentucky outscored their visitors from the north 24-13 in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Kentucky (5-0) had four players score in double figures in the game. Georgia Amoore led the Cats with 23 points, while dishing out seven assists. Dazia Lawrence had 21 points for UK, with Clara Strack adding 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Teonni Key had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Mastodons scored the first five points of the game before Strack scored in the lane to make it 5-2. After a Key layup got the Cats within one, Purdue Fort Wayne scored eight in a row to take a 13-4 lead. A Lawrence three from the corner stopped the run. It was the first of 10 straight UK points scored by Lawrence, but Kentucky still trailed 18-14. The Cats would trail 23-19 after 10 minutes of play.
Both teams were cold early in the second quarter, but Kentucky got a basket and free throw from Amelia Hassett to get UK within one, 25-24. However, Purdue Fort Wayne would answer with a 6-2 run to lead 31-26 with 5:45 left in the half.
Georgia Amoore hit a three to cut it to 31-29, but Renna Schwieterman drove to the basket, scored on a layup then made a free throw to make it 34-29. Purdue Fort Wayne would lead 38-33 at the half. Lawrence led the Cats with 12 points in the first half.
Purdue Fort Wayne scored the first four points of the third quarter and opened the period on a 6-2 run to lead 44-35.
That’s when Kentucky responded. A pair of Key free throws followed by an Amoore three cut the deficit to 44-40. After the Mastodons stretched the lead to 46-40, UK got consecutive threes from Lawrence and Amoore to tie the game for the first time, 46-46, with 4:02 left in the third quarter.
Purdue Fort Wayne would lead 51-48 before Strack made four straight free throws to give the Cats their first lead of the night, 52-51, with 1:46 left in the third quarter. After the Mastodons took the lead back, 53-52, Lawrence hit a three to give the Cats a 55-53 advantage. UK would lead 55-54 after three quarters.
The Mastodons scored the first points of the fourth quarter to grab a 57-55 lead. However, UK got a baseline jumper from Strack, a layup from Key and a three from Lawrence, two free throws from Amoore, and an Amoore jumper, giving the Cats a 66-57 lead with 8:06 to play. It was an 11-0 run that proved to be decisive in the game.
UK would go up by 10 on a Cassidy Rowe three before Purdue Fort Wayne scored five in a row to get back within five, 69-64. An Amoore three stretched the lead to 72-64. The Cats would extend the lead to as many as 12, including at the final horn.
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday, facing Arizona State in the Music City Classic in Nashville. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on BallerTV.
