HONOLULU ? Senior Sarah Elliott (McKee, Ky.) recorded her 10th career and first double-double of the season with 23 points and 12 rebounds, leading Kentucky women?s basketball to a 76-55 win over Lipscomb in the seventh-place game of the 29th Annual Jack in the Box Rainbow Wahine Classic.
Kentucky (3-3) outscored Lipscomb 42-30 in final 20 minutes and was led by Elliott?s 12 second-half points. She was followed in the scoring column by senior guard Samantha Mahoney (Detroit) who posted eight of 12 points in the final stanza. It was Mahoney?s fifth straight game with double-figures. Elliott also finished with two blocks, giving her 150 rejections for her career. She needs six more to tie Valerie Still (156) for first place on the school?s career blocks list.
?One thing about this tournament is that we didn?t play an easy schedule,? UK Coach Matthew Mitchell said. ?Playing three games in three days, that?s not an easy thing for a team to do, especially a young team. In our top 10, four of our freshmen are being counted on. I thought it was a tremendous tournament to help our team grow. We need to get back and get after those ?Toppers when we get back to the mainland.?
The game was a back-and-forth battle from the start as Lipscomb, of the Atlantic Sun Conference, hung around with the Wildcats, knotting the score 11-11 with 11:41 to go in the first half. The Wildcats responded with 8-0 run led by freshman Victoria Dunlap (Nashville, Tenn.) who scored four consecutive points and Amani Franklin (Decatur, Ga.) and Chante? Bowman (Detroit) who each added a layup.
The Wildcats took a 34-35 lead into the locker room at the half despite being plagued with foul trouble and injuries. Junior point guard Carly Ormerod (Louisville, Ky.) played less than one minute in the game before sitting out with a sore left foot. Sophomore forward Lydia Watkins did not dress after suffering a knee sprain in the Minnesota game and red-shirt junior Eleia Roddy is still not available for action due to a nagging knee injury from last year.
?One thing about today?s game is that we had to make a quick adjustment right before tip-off,? Mitchell said. ?Carly Ormerod played very hard and very well yesterday. She was a little sore in her foot and thought she would be good when she got going. She got to the gym and couldn?t go. That threw a little wrench in our plans. I thought the team handled that well. Amber Smith picked up her third foul and got in a little foul trouble. The first half was a struggle, but I was so happy that we could show some improvement in the second half and, for the first time this season outscore a team in the second half.?
Freshman Amber Smith (Winter Haven, Fla), who ran the point for the injured Ormerod, finished with six points, six assists, and four rebounds.
Lipscomb (2-4) continued chipping at UK?s lead in the second half, pulling with six points four different times. With Kentucky up 53-47 with 8:18 to go, freshman Carly Morrow (Chattanooga, Tenn.) hit one of her two three-pointers in the game to push UK?s advantage back to nine and the Wildcats never looked back. UK would go on to win by 21 points.
All 13 players that dressed saw action in the game and 10 of the 13 scored at least two points.
The Wildcats hit 44.3 percent (27-of-61) from the floor, including 53.6 percent in the second half, and outrebounded Lipscomb, 45-32.
The Lady Bisons, who shot 27,7 percent for the game, were led by Catie Woods with 10.
Kentucky returns to its home court Friday, Nov. 30 when the Wildcats play host to intrastate rival Western Kentucky in Rupp Arena. Game time is 7 p.m. EST and the game will be televised live on BBSN/FSN South.
