Box Score
Louisville, Ky.- Louisville used a 14-1 run to comeback from a 11-point deficit in the second half to defeat the Kentucky women’s basketball team, 63-57, in Freedom Hall. Sophomore Rita Adams notched a career-tying 14 points, scoring 12 in the second half.
The Cats (2-5) were without leading scorer SeSe Helm who did not play due to a knee injury sustained in Wednesday’s gameversus No. 19 Xavier. The Wildcats were also without the help of three significant players who fouled out with three minutesremaining in the game. Freshmen Stephanie Stoglin, who scored all 12 of her points in the first half, was whistled for her fifth foulwith more than six minutes to go. Freshmen Alvine Mendeng and Shambrica Jones also missed the final minutes of the game afterfouling out. Mendeng finished with four points and seven rebounds.
“We were getting open looks tonight we just weren’t knocking them down,” UK Coach Bernadette Mattox said. “Our playerswere banged up from the start and I’m just pleased how we hung in the entire game. LaTonya (McDole) and Stephanie (Stoglin)both have banged up ankles and shouldn’t have even been playing. We have a week off now and we’ll get back in practice andwork on our weaknesses.”
Louisville nailed 16 of 17 free throws in the final stanza to pull away and take the lead after holding the Cats to almost fiveminutes without a basket. The Cards (2-5) hit 23-of-27 for 85.2 percent from the free throw line for the game.
Kentucky jumped out to a 10-3 lead to start the game and led by four, 30-26, at the half. The Cats shot 44.8 percent from thefield in the first half compared to the Cards’ 26.7 percent.UK leads the all-time series versus the Cardinals 26-10.After a short break for finals, the Cats will be back in action whey they travel to Miami, Fla., to participate in the Baptist HealthSystems Women’s Fab Four Classic sponsored by the Orange Bowl Committee. UK will face host Florida International on Sunday,Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Golden Panther Arena. Tickets for the 2000 Block Party Weekend are available by logging on to theOrange Bowl Committee website www.orangebowl.org.
