You may have missed the start since Duke and Clemson ran over, but the Cats were on fire, starting 4-4 from deep and running out to a 20-8 lead. They looked like a team seeking vengeance for the loss at Memorial a few weeks ago.
Then, like so many times this season, Kentucky got sped up against Vandy’s pressure, and the lead was gone.
Kentucky did manage to get a Teonni Key post shot to take a 2-point lead to the 2nd, but the Cats should have had a much bigger lead.
Kentucky’s hot shooting cools off
The Cats opened the second quarter,
0-4 from deep and 2-6 overall, before an Amelia Hassett 3 gave the Cats a 6-point lead. Vandy answered right back with 2 3’s of their own. And it was right back to the helter-skelter type style that favors the Commodores. With 4 minutes to go, Kentucky was up just 2, and the teams would battle back and forth for the rest of the first half.
For Vanderbilt, it was the Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan show; the two guards combined for 31 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 turnovers. The Cats countered with a balanced effort led by Asia Boone (10) and Amelia Hassett (9). Overall, 7 Cats scored at least 4 points to send Kentucky to halftime with a 2-point lead, 46-44.
Kentucky collapses again
The second started just like the rest of the game. Mikayla Blakes shook Clara Strack and made a jumper. Then, Asia Boone 3 gave the Cats a little more breathing room. That was short-lived as Vandy picked off a pass, something that haunted Kentucky in the last meeting. Blakes hit a layup, and after Clara Strack missed another jumper, Galvan gave Vandy the lead.
The Cats seemed determined to get Strack going, though, as she took 3 of the first 5 shots. She was fouled and made one free throw to tie it up at 52.
The referees went to the monitor on a jump ball call to see how much time was left, but the Cats were still struggling to find their rhythm. A Teonni Key miss and an Amelia Hassett turnover gave Vandy the chance to retake the lead from the line. Blakes missed 1 of 2, but it was still good enough for a lead.
Clara Strack converted an and-1 to give the Cats the lead back, but the Cats couldn’t add to the lead as Teonni Key was called for a questionable flagrant foul, turning it back over to Vanderbilt and giving them two free throws. Key went to establish position down low, and as she turned around, her elbow caught a Vandy player below the chin. It went down as the Cats’ 5th turnover in the quarter, it had just 3 the entire first half.
Clara Strack found Jordan Obi on the baseline and then took it all the way for a layup to give Kentucky back the lead. A lead that Tonie Morgan would extend with a great move to create some space for a jumper.
Clara Strack breaks her own block record
Clara Strack blocked a Vandy jumper and leaked out for a layup to give Kentucky a 65-59 lead. That block gave Clara Strack 74 on the season, breaking her own record of 73 from last season. After another defensive stop, Tonie Morgan had to throw up a desperate 3 as the shot clock was winding down. Vandy brought down the rebound, and Aubrey Galvan did what she did all game: score. She cut the lead to 4 with a layup heading to the 4th.
That 4-point lead matches Kentucky’s lead going into the 4th at home in the first meeting, but could they hang on this time?
The Cats and Dores traded baskets to open the 4th, but it was Mikayla Blakes who again sprang to life. She had 5 of Vanderbilt’s first 7 points. Kentucky’s 3-point shooting again was cold as Asia Boone missed 2 wide-open looks that allowed Mikayla Blakes to give Vandy the lead with 6:30 to go. She was unbelievable again. After scoring 37 in the first meeting, she had X tonight. The Cats wouldn’t quit either.
Amelia Hassett hit a 3 to give Kentucky a 2-point lead with 5:09 to go as the game went to the media timeout.
But it was Mikayla Blakes again. She got to the rim but couldn’t convert, allowing an easy rebound from Aiyana Mitchell, who put it back up and in for a tie game. Amelia Hassett found the bottom of the net with a huge 3 to give Kentucky the lead back, but a Clara Strack turnover led to a Vandy 3 that tied it back up. Hassett couldn’t convert from the corner, and Vandy took a timeout with 1:37 to go.
Blakes got to the rim and kicked it out, but Vandy couldn’t convert. Kenny Brooks took a timeout to draw up what he wanted, but Asia Boone’s open 3 rimmed out.
Vandy went to who else but Mikayla Blakes, who drew a questionable call and converted 1-2 from the line.
As she did against LSU, Tonie Morgan took the ball and made some magic happen. She drove into the paint and converted a really tough layup to put Kentucky up 1 with 32.8 to go.
Vandy called a timeout, and it was all on the line when Aubrey Galvan pulled up over Clara Strack with 7.9 to go. The freshman drained it, and the Dores were up 1 with 7.9 to go.
The Cats got the ball in bound but a turnover from Clara Strack gave Vandy the ball. No timeouts, and only .7 to go, Vandy escaped again as turnovers doomed the Cats again. Vandy sneaks away 81-79.
Just a tough weekend all around for basketball in Lexington.
