No. 12 Kentucky Tops No. 22 Alabama on Thursday
Georgia Amoore scored 16 points and dished out nine assists as the 12th-ranked Kentucky women’s basketball team topped No. 22 Alabama 65-56 on Thursday night inside Historic Memorial Coliseum.
The Cats got 14 points and 14 rebounds from Clara Strack, who recorded her 10th double-double of the season. Amelia Hassett had 11 points and seven rebounds, while Dazia Lawrence added 10 points
Kentucky (18-2, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) scored the first points of the game on an Amoore layup. Alabama answered with a three-point play before a Strack jumper gave the Cats a 4-3 lead. After Bama took the lead back, Hassett hit a corner three to give UK a 7-5 lead. The Tide would tie the game at 7-7 before another Strack basket made it 9-7 Cats.
The teams would be tied at nine, 11 and 13 before a pair of Alabama three-pointers gave the Tide a 19-13 lead. Alabama would lead 21-15 after one period.
Lawrence got the Cats on the board early in the second quarter with a three that cut the deficit to three, 21-18. After the teams traded baskets, UK got an Amoore basket and a Hassett three to tie the game at 25-25.
The run continued with a Tyler three that gave Kentucky a 28-25 advantage, followed by a four-point play from Lawrence that made it 32-25. Altogether, it was a 12-0 run that turned a five-point deficit into a seven-point lead. The Cats would lead 34-30 at the half.
Alabama scored the first two points of the second half before baskets by Teonni Key and Strack made it 38-32. After a Crimson Tide bucket, Amoore hit a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 40-34. A Bama bucket cut it to four before Amoore hit a three to stretch the advantage to 43-36.
After Bama cut the UK lead to five, Amoore connected from long range again and the Cats led 46-38. The Tide would cut the deficit to six before a Tyler three, a Strack layup and a Hassett free throw made it 52-40, which would be the score after three quarters.
Strack scored the first points of the fourth quarter to extend the UK lead to 54-40. However, the Crimson Tide scored four in a row before Hassett hit a three, followed by a runner, to stretch the Kentucky lead to 59-44.
Kentucky would stretch the lead to as many as 17 points before Alabama rallied. The Tide scored seven in a row to cut the UK lead to 63-53. Alabama would eventually get within single digits with under a minute to play.
The Cats return to action on Sunday, visiting Norman to take on No. 13 Oklahoma. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on the SEC Network.
