Kentucky Wildcats women’s basketball is officially back. The Cats hit the floor Monday against the Morehead Eagles and wasted very little time getting the offense rolling.
By halftime, Kentucky had built a commanding 42-15 lead, showcasing a perfect blend of veterans and freshman potential.
The first half’s story was undoubtedly the immediate impact of the highly touted freshman class. All three first-year players scored and impacted the game in other ways, too.
At halftime, head coach Kenny Brooks
said he would need to adjust his rotations because he has so many capable players. Remember, Kenny relies heavily on 6 players, even going back to his Va Tech days.
I don’t think he can do that here.
Savvy Swords was the very first player off the bench, and she immediately made an impression by draining her first shot of the game. By the break, she was already flirting with a double-double, racking up six points and six rebounds in just nine minutes.
Meanwhile, Maddyn Greenway proved that her game is about much more than just putting the ball in the hoop. While she arrived in Lexington as the third-highest scoring high school women’s player of all time, her defensive intensity stole the show in the first two quarters.
Greenway was locked into her stance, applying relentless pressure, and even sacrificed her body to take a hard charge. She and fellow freshman Emily McDonald each chipped in a basket, ensuring the entire freshman trio got on the board in their debut half.
Greenway finished with 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. Saavy Swords had 6 points and 11 rebounds, while Emily McDonald added 10 points.
Down in the paint, the veterans anchored the blowout.
Clara Strack was every bit as dominant as expected. The senior center bullied her way to a game-high 17 points; she added 9 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 3 assists. Ajša Sivka was also huge, adding 12 points and 8 assists as a 6’5 wing. Few teams can have a player who can do that at her height. Me’Arah O’Neal had 10 points and 7 rebounds.
The only slight hiccup for the Wildcats came from the perimeter, where Asia Boone couldn’t get going offensively. She started cold and never warmed up, making just 1-of-7 field goals and 0-of-5 from deep.
The Cats will have no complaints, though; they won 85-43.
Up next is Thursday night against Northern Kentucky at 6:30.
