Kentucky women's basketball was back in action at Historic Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, fresh off a dominating win that dispatched Texas A&M.
For the first quarter, the Cats and the Rebels traded blows. It was a tight 20-15 game before Kentucky absolutely erupted on a 19-0 run to blow the doors off the building.
But as we all know, Sunday's game meant infinitely more than just what was happening on the hardwood.
More Than Just a Game
Kentucky and Ole Miss squared off in the annual Play4Kay game, which saw the Wildcats trade in their normal blue and white for pink accents, playing in front of a crowd completely bathed in pink.
With the emotional weight of the afternoon setting the tone, the team came out firing.
An Asia Boone Bomb Sighting at HMC
Asia Boone was absolutely electric in the first half. She went 4-for-6 from deep, racked up 13 points, and even converted a massive four-point play that had the crowd deafening during that 19-0 run. She wasn't just scoring, either. She hit the glass hard, pulling down six rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.
But it wasn't just Boone fueling the fire. Amelia Hassett drilled two deep threes, and Clara Strack dominated the paint with 12 points and four rebounds of her own.
The defense was arguably the biggest story. Cotie McMahon came into Lexington averaging just under 20 points per game. The Cats absolutely smothered Ole Miss's star, holding her to a brutal 0-for-8 from the floor with just two points (both free throws) and a single rebound in the half.
Overall, Kentucky held Ole Miss to just nine points in the second quarter and 20 points total in the first half, their lowest-scoring half of the entire season. The Cats took a commanding 39-20 lead into the locker room.
The whistle changes the game
The start of the second half saw Tonie Morgan pick up her third foul with 8:44 to go, forcing her to the bench. But it was Kentucky's own offensive mistakes that ultimately opened the door for the Rebels.
Three straight turnovers, including a brutal shot clock violation, showed a Kentucky offense that was completely out of sync. Ole Miss scored the first five points of the half, and eventually nine of the first 11, to tighten the game right back up to 41-29.
With 5:39 still left in the third quarter, the Rebels were already in the bonus. The real issue wasn't just the fouls being called on Kentucky; it was the complete lack of foul calls on the Rebels. They were being just as handsy and physical as the Cats, but Kentucky was simply not getting the same whistle.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the disparity was glaring: Ole Miss was 18-for-21 from the free-throw line. Kentucky was 8-for-8. That is a massive discrepancy on your home floor, especially when Kentucky was attacking the paint just as aggressively.
Clara Strack takes over
The Cats opened the fourth quarter with a Teonni Key jumper, but a tie-up and a step out of bounds allowed Ole Miss to pull within 11 with 7:50 to go.
On a massive possession, Clara Strack had an open jumper but couldn't convert. Cotie McMahon immediately answered with a three-pointer on the other end, cutting the lead to under 10 for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
After another missed shot from Strack and another Cotie jumper, Kenny Brooks had to call a timeout. Ole Miss was on a 9-0 run, and Kentucky looked genuinely shook.
Coming out of the timeout, Strack got another open look and missed again. But after Ole Miss knocked the ball out of bounds, Strack finally found the bottom of the net to break the run. That bucket woke her up, and she went on a personal 8-0 run as Kentucky wisely fed her in the post time and time again to stabilize the game.
Clara Strack finished the game with 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks. She was a star in the 4th quarter as the Cats grabbed a big home win 74- 57 to set up a rematch with Vanderbilt next Sunday.