Women's Basketball
Amoore's Career Day Leads No. 12 Kentucky Past No. 13 Oklahoma

Amoore's Career Day Leads No. 12 Kentucky Past No. 13 Oklahoma

by Tim Letcher

Georgia Amoore made her name as an All-American at Virginia Tech. However, the fifth-year standout etched her name in the Kentucky record book on Sunday.

Amoore made 15 of 22 shots from the field, including 7 of 12 from beyond the arc and 6 of 8 at the line on her way to a career-high 43 points as the 12th-ranked Cats beat No. 13 Oklahoma 95-86 on Sunday at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

Amoore’s 43 points tied the Kentucky school record for points in a game. Jennifer O’Neill had 43 points against Baylor on Dec. 6, 2013 and Rhyne Howard equaled that effort with 43 against Alabama on Jan. 9, 2020. In fact, Sunday’s effort by Amoore was the first time a Kentucky player had scored 40 or more points since Howard did so against Alabama. It was also just the seventh time in UK history that a player has scored at least 40 points in a game.

Kentucky (19-2, 8-1 Southeastern Conference) got 19 points from Clara Strack and 14 points from Dazia Lawrence in the win.

The Cats got on the board first when Strack scored but Oklahoma quickly tied the game at 2-2. Amoore then drained a three-pointer to give UK a 5-2 advantage. The Sooners answered with a three of their own to tie the game at 5-5. The game would be tied again at 7-7 before the Cats scored six in a row, on baskets by Teonni Key, Strack and Clara Silva to lead 13-7.

Oklahoma got a basket to get within four, but UK got a basket from Amoore, another from Lawrence and a three from Amoore to close a 13-2 run and to lead 20-9. The Sooners answered with a 6-3 run to cut the deficit to 23-15. Kentucky made 12 of its 16 shots in the first quarter and took a 30-19 lead after 10 minutes of action.

In the second quarter, Oklahoma tried to chip away at the UK lead. The Sooners opened the period on a 6-3 run to get within eight, 33-25. However, UK scored seven of the next nine points to lead 40-27. The Sooners scored four straight to make it 40-31.

Amoore then scored four in a row and Kentucky led 44-31. The Sooners would close the half on a 5-2 run but the Cats led 45-36 at the break. Amoore scored 20 points in the first half.

Oklahoma opened the third quarter with a 10-2 run to get within one, 47-46. The Cats bounced right back with a three from Amelia Hassett, an Amoore jumper, eight straight points from Strack and an Amoore three as part of a 16-0 run that extended the UK lead to 63-46. The Sooners scored the final six points of the period but the Cats led 63-52 through three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, Oklahoma got even closer, hitting a pair of early threes to cut the UK lead to 63-58. However, Amoore answered yet again, hitting a pair of threes to extend the UK lead to 69-58.

Oklahoma would continue to chip away at the lead, eventually getting within seven points, 91-84. However, Amoore and the Cats made enough free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.

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