Kentucky women’s basketball finally broke out of its early-season shooting slump in a big way, led by Ajsa Sivka’s school-record 8 3-point shots, while the team hit a school-record-tying 18 from deep.
Competing in the Ally Tipoff down in Charlotte, the Wildcats came out of the locker room absolutely scorching the nets.
Kentucky nailed its first eight shots of the game, including five rapid-fire makes from beyond the arc. Strack, Sivka, and O’Neal all had at least one deep ball early on.
That blistering
trend continued throughout the entire first half, with the Cats draining 13 3-pointers to hang 56 first-half points on the Wolfpack.
After struggling to find the outside shot in their first two games, the perimeter explosion was a welcome sight.
Ajsa Sivka was absolutely electric all night, fueling the offensive surge. The first-year wing finished 11-of-17 from the floor, knocking down 8 3-pointers while adding 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
However, the elite defense that defined Kentucky’s first two blowouts suddenly looked a little leaky.
NC State forward Khamil Pierre completely dominated the matchup with whichever taller player Kentucky tried on her. Pierre racked up a game-high 34 points, doing most of her damage by pouring in 19 in the first half alone.
The Wildcats had no answer for her, and even more worrisome, Wolfpack point guard Zoe Brooks got in the lane at will for most of the night. She didn’t finish well, shooting 1-for-5, but she was 11-for-13 from the free-throw line. She left early after an awkward fall and holding her leg in the 3rd with 13 points.
Beyond the defensive struggles, Brooks’ tight rotation raised questions for me, especially with Maddyn Greenway. Brooks always loves playing 6-7 players, but this Kentucky team has more depth.
Maddyn Greenway’s lack of minutes doesn’t bode well for the freshman
Despite both Diana Collins and Asia Boone being saddled with three fouls in the third quarter, Greenway was glued to the bench. The team struggled in that third quarter, scoring just 16 points.
The elite freshman saw just two minutes of action in Charlotte. While she committed two turnovers in that brief window, Greenway has the undeniable capacity to be a special player for this program.
Her limited minutes, especially when the backcourt was battling heavy foul trouble and struggling, make her look like the odd player out. I really hope that’s not the case. It is just one game, but it is worrisome given Coach Brooks’ history of tight rotations.
The shooting cooled in the 3rd for both teams as they combined for 30 points, with 13 of those coming from the line. Kentucky also committed 4 turnovers, but the fourth saw the Cats reassert their dominance.
Kentucky WBB got the win 93-78, passing the first real test of the season, but some questions remain.
The Cats return to the floor Wednesday night at 6:30 against Evansville.
