Unfortunately for Texas A&M, Kentucky had a bad taste in their mouths, and the opening 3 minutes had to be cathartic. Asia Boone nailed a deep 3, Tonie Morgan hit a corner 3, and another Asia Boone Bomb put the Cats up 9-0. Then Teonni Key's hook shot forced the Aggies to call a timeout with 7:18 to go, trailing 11-0. You need to remember this is an Aggie team that just upset a then-ranked Alabama.
Then a moment came that had every Cats fan hold their breath. After just getting Teonni Key back, Clara Strack went down holding her left knee and left the game. But the good news is she never left the bench area, and it looked more like a bruise. Meanwhile, the Aggies were really struggling to find any type of momentum. It wasn't until 4:59 of the first quarter that they found their first basket.
The momentum the Cats started with carried all the way through the first quarter with Kentucky leading 27-5 after 1.
Last year, Georgia Amoore was tremendous and finished with 211 assists; this season, Tonie Morgan has been just as good. Tonight, she broke the single-season record. After the first quarter, she had 215, and would finish the night with 8 assists, moving her up to 218 for the season.
Offense vanishes in shooting nightmare
The Cats cooled off significantly in the second quarter, but the Aggies were still not yet into double digits with 4:24 to go. After shooting 11-18 in the first, the Cats were just 5-22 in the second. They went to the half up 38-18.
A flagrant foul on Clara Strack was the latest hit Strack took in a physical 3rd quarter that saw her down on the court a number of times. Texas A&M's Emerald Parker was thrown out of the game for the blow to Strack's face.
The defensive basketball was great to watch, but the shot-making in this game was shocking. Through 3 quarters, Kentucky was 20-55, Texas A&M was only 12-42.
If you were hoping for an offensive awakening in the 4th, the opening minutes sure didn't bode well for you. Tonie Morgan missed a layup and then threw it away trying to find Clara Strack down low. In fact, the two teams combined to miss the first 5 shots of the 4th before Clara Strack found the bottom of the net.
The rest of the 4th played out like the 3rd quarter, rough. There was a lot of physicality, but just not enough shot-making from either team. Ultimately, Kentucky walked away with the win, and after 2 straight losses, that has to feel good to Kenny Brooks and company.
Kentucky knocks off Texas A&M 75-55. They will be back in action Sunday against Ole Miss in Historic Memorial Coliseum at 2 PM.
How to watch Kentucky vs Ole Miss
TV Channel: SEC Network
Location: Lexington, KY (Historic Memorial Coliseum
Online Stream: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sling TV (Blue & Orange Plan)