Kentucky Takes Down the After Tennessee Volunteers 71-56

After taking a bad defeat at the hands of the Volunteers in Knoxville the Wildcats played with more of a sense of urgency. The Wildcats were playing with more awareness by reason of getting more fifty-fifty balls.

Also, having won the turnover battle at the halfway mark of the game 10-6. The Vols did a good job on Rhyne Howard the first twenty minutes holding her to two points. In a recent press conference, Kyra Elzy said her Wildcats stood around and watched Rhyne Howard at Ole Miss. She said she wanted more participation in this game and she got.

It was obvious Tennessee wasn't going to let Howard beat them as they played her very physical and kept her in front of them. However, she did what good players do and contributed with her floor game with four assists and 5-steals. She finished the game with 7-steals and seven assists.

Chasity Patterson led the Cats at halftime with 13-points

Although the objective of Coach Elzy was for her tea to block out better only a two rebound deficit. Tennessee still got a 52-48 advantage which was exponentially better than the showing in Tennessee
Tennessee came in the second and hit the boards hard getting put back.

Coach Elzy said she was proud of the way her team stepped up to the challenge and played with their energy and focus.
Seemingly the decision to start Jazmine was a key move because it freed up Chasity Patterson to score which she is very good at.

On the strength of a 15-3 run during a 5:19 stretch of the third quarter, Tennessee took a 41-39 lead. Howard still having difficulty getting untracked. At the end of the third quarter, she has only 4-points. To Howard's credit, she wasn't forcing anything.

After Tennessee made their big run to take a five-point lead the coach said she emphasized not panicking which is something they have done before this season. The players obviously listening to their coach and responded.

Blair Green hit an elbow jumper to give the Cats a 52-47 lead at the 7:00 mark of the fourth quarter. The assist by Howard.

Howard took a spill and came up gimpy and played that way the rest of the game after going to the bench briefly. The Cats then made 5 out 0f 6 field goals to built a 65-54 lead.

The Cats then went into a mini-stall and Tennesse the got the ball back at the 1:52 mark
The difference in the game was the three-point shooting of the Cats (10-20). Chaisity Patterson and Jazmine Massengill supplied most of it canning 3-5 apiece.