The University of Kentucky women’s basketball team ended their season with a loss to the Lady Volunteers of Tennessee, 80-71 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals. The Wildcats finish the season with a 12-19 record, while Tennessee advances to the semifinals with a 22-10 overall record.
Kentucky has a 43-43 all-time record in the SEC Tournament, but they trailed in the all-time series with Tennessee 3-8 in tournament meetings. However, UK has advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament for 15 straight years, which is the longest active streak in the league.
Despite the loss, head coach Kyra Elzy has a 7-2 all-time record in the SEC Tournament, the best start for a UK head coach to their tournament tenure in program history. Her team forced UT into 22 turnovers and scored 38 points off those miscues, and UK limited Tennessee’s points in the paint to 38 on Friday, compared to 50 in their last meeting during the regular season.
Graduate guard Robyn Benton led Kentucky with 20 points, marking the 14th time she has led Kentucky in scoring this season. Sophomore guard Jada Walker scored 12 points, while junior guard Maddie Scherr scored 13 points with four rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and four steals in 34 minutes. Junior forward Ajae Petty came off the bench and played 23 minutes, scoring 11 points with four rebounds and two steals.
Despite the loss, Kentucky showed determination and grit. The Wildcats had six straight wins in the SEC Tournament, which was the longest streak in program history and the eighth-longest winning streak in tournament history. Although the season may not have gone the way they wanted, Kentucky fought until the end, and fans can expect a bright future for this program.
